Tidal Volume, Heart Rate, and Breath Frequency During Rowing Machine

Exercise with Increasing Intensity in Loras College Students

Austin C, Leo P, Sam E, Pat D, & Carissa S

Hypothesis________________________________________________________
As intensity increases or decreases in any exercise, breathing frequency, heart rate,and
tidal volume will increase or decrease proportionately as a result.

Methods__________________________________________________________
Participants:
Four Loras College students participated in this study. The participants were full time
students in the age range of 18-22 years.
Rowing Machine Intervals:
Participants were asked to exercise using the Concept 2 rowing machine. For a total of
6 minutes of exercise, the participants would actively row on the machine at a rate of
1 row every 3 seconds. Participants would row at 3 different intensities every 2
minutes. The initial 2 minutes were at an intensity of 2, the second interval was at an
intensity of 5 and the final interval was at an intensity of 8. For every 2 minute
interval, breathing rate, heart rate and tidal volume were measured every 30 seconds
for a 20 second period before resuming the exercise. After the participants finished
exercising for 6 minutes, they were then told to have their heart rate, breathing rate
and tidal volume measured for a two minute resting period.
Heart Rate:
Participants used a Concept 2 rowing machine while their heart rate(HR) was
measured via a polar heart rate monitor strap. Heart rates were collected at the end of
every 30 second interval within an exercise at the various rowing intensities (2, 5 and
8)
Breathing Frequency (BrF) and Tidal Volume (TV):
Participants had their breathing frequency (BrF) and tidal volume(TV) measured via a
Vernier spirometer hooked up to a laptop. The spirometer was placed in the mouth of
the participant at the end of every 30 second exercise interval for 20 seconds.
Results:
Averages and standard deviation values of HR,TV,and BrF were calculated via SPSS.
Then, the average values were divided by the resting values in order to get the ratios,
these values then were arranged in a line graph using Excel comparing the three
variables over time and intensity. Standard deviation values were averages for each
variable and placed in a legend on the figure. Slope values during exercise were
calculated in Excel for each variable. Slope results suggest that there was little to no
change in HR,BrF, and TV values during exercise.

Results___________________________________________________________
Comparing figures 1 and 2, figure 1 represents ratios of heart rate, tidal volume and
breathing rate at various weight intensities concerning the leg press machine. Figure 2
represents ratios of the same variables at various intensities on the rowing machine.
When increasing in lower leg intensity, there is a gradual yet small increase in tidal
volume (slope = 0.091), breathing rate (slope = 0.050) and heart rate (slope = 0.050).
At 60% intensity, all ratios at 2:00 minutes drop significantly from the ratios at 1:30
minutes which is a possible reason for why the slopes in the exercise intervals are not
as high as visually expected (Figure 1.). After the significant drop at 2 minutes in
figure 1, recovery ratios decline at a very minimal overall rate (tidal volume = -0.091,
breathing rate = -0.051, heart rate = -0.061). In figure 2 concerning the rowing
machine, exercise interval slopes were very relatively linear (tidal volume = -0.0194,
breathing rate = 0.0287, heart rate = 0.0006). In the recovery period, breathing rate
and heart rate ratios decreased slightly, with slopes of -0.0783 and -0.0933
respectively. Tidal Volume in the recovery period decreased at a much more
significant rate of -0.306.
Figure 2.​ Line graph comparing HR, BrF, and TV ratios over time with increasing
rowing intensities (yellow=2, orange=5, red=8, green=recovery).Average standard
deviations of heart rate, tidal volume and breathing frequency for each 30 second
interval at various row intensities. .

Discussion_______________________________________________________
Revisiting the hypothesis, it was assumed that all three measured variables: heart rate,
breathing rate and tidal volume would increase and decrease proportionately to the
exercise and the intensity that the participants underwent. To state a specific example,
if a participant were to run on the treadmill, the faster the participant is forced to run,
the higher the breathing rate, heart rate and tidal volume would be in order to
physiologically adapt to the increase in physical exertion. The slower the participant
was forced to run, the lower the breathing rate, heart rate and tidal volume would be
compared to the higher run speed measurements. When considering the hypothesis in
terms of the differences/inconsistencies in the results between both group experiments
as a whole. The hypothesis of this experiment could be specifically accepted by the
participants exercising using the leg press machine (figure 1.), as there was an evident
positive slope in the exercise portion of the experiment for all three variables. Tidal
volume had a positive slope of 0.091, heart rate had a positive slope of 0.050 and
breathing rate had the same slope as heart rate of 0.050. These positive slopes mean
that each variable measured had a positive correlation with an increase in intensity. It
is also important to note there was an unexpected significant drop in all three variables
when participants using the leg press in the 60% intensity interval went from 1:30
minutes (13) to 2:00 minutes (14) in the exercise (figure 1.). If the experiment were to
disregard this drop, the positive slope values for tidal volume, heart rate and breathing
rate would all be much larger, further supporting that greater exercise intensities
induce higher tidal volume, heart rate and breathing rate. As positive slope values
indicate that y-values (variables measure) increase as the x-value increases (exercise
intensity).
The hypothesis in regards to figure 2 can not be specifically accepted in terms
of a positive slope regarding the exercise portion of the experiment. In the other
experiment, participants were told to undergo increasing exercise intensities using the
rowing machine, a more full body exercise compared to the leg press. Once the
exercise started, the ratios for tidal volume, heart rate and breathing rate all
significantly jumped up from the resting value, but stayed relatively consistent
throughout the exercise, even in increasing intensities. This resulted in flat/neutral
slopes for the variables measured (tidal volume = -0.0194, heart rate = -0.0006,
breathing rate = 0.0287). While all three variables measured in figure 2 did show a
positive response to exercise on the rowing machine, once the exercise was continued,
all rates concerning breathing, lung intake and heart rate stayed relatively constant
throughout.
Looking at the physiology behind this experiment. This experiment is mainly
concerned on how the body works to increase its efficiency in supplying itself with
oxygen in an environment which is physically demanding. During exercise, muscles
play a large role in increasing the breathing rate and heart rate through the concept of
venous return. When exercising, ​your muscles are pushing your blood back to your
heart at a faster rate, so your heart must increase its rate of pumping to match to
amount of blood returning through the superior and inferior vena cava​ (Vaux-Bjerke,
etal 2017). This is due to the fact the veins’ primary method of returning blood to the
heart is through skeletal-muscle pumps. The veins found around muscle use muscular
contractions to be pumped back into the heart. Therefore, muscle contracting at a
faster/greater rate results in more blood being pumped back into the heart through the
increased activity of skeletal muscle pumps in the body. Relating this to Starling's law,
the greater the venous return, the more rapid and forceful the heart will want to
contract as a response to this increase of blood flow, essentially initiating sympathetic
activity of the heart. The experiment which had participants using the leg press
perfectly exemplified this. The slope for heart rate was r = 0.050 (figure 1.), meaning
that as the participants would undergo greater intensities, their muscles would pump
more blood back into the heart through an increase in muscular contraction. The
experiment which had participants using the rowing machine did not show an increase
in heart rate once exercising. The slope for heart rate was r =-0.0006 (figure 2.),
meaning that as exercise intensity increased, heart rate did not increase
correspondingly.
Tying breathing rate into the experiment, as there is an increase in venous return
and heart rate during exercise, the lungs must collect more oxygen for gas exchange at
the alveolar/capillary level in the lungs. An increase in heart rate will result in more
blood being pumped to and from the lungs, meaning that more gas exchange will take
place in the lungs. Having more oxygen available in the blood from an increased
breathing rate means that muscles will have more oxygen to be supplied with during
exercise as a result (Sroufe, etal 1971). The experiment concerning the leg press
showed a clear increase of breathing rates as exercise increased due to the increase in
heart rate. The slope for breathing rate was the same as the slope for heart rate, being
r=0.050. As participants increased the intensity of their leg press in terms of weight,
they were forced to increase their breathing rate to compensate for an elevated heart
rate which was the result of venous return from muscles used; specifically the leg
muscles used in the press exercise. Comparing these results to the experiment using
the rowing machine, the breathing rate slope was rather flat/unchanging much like the
heart rate slope recorded in the experiment. With a slope of r=0.0287, although it is
positive and is larger than the slope recorded for heart rate, it is still too small to be
recognized as an actual increase of breathing rate over time.
In the leg press experiment, tidal volume increased in a positive fashion along
with heart rate and breathing rate. With the largest positive slope of r=0.091 it seems
that as participants underwent an increase in heart rate and breathing rate, tidal volume
would increase accordingly. Meaning that when undergoing higher leg press intensity,
participants would breather faster and deeper in response in order to stabilize supply
of oxygen to the body, as the skeletal muscles would burn through oxygen faster and
the heart would receive greater and more frequent bouts of blood returning from the
veins. As muscles undergo respiration, CO2 is created as a waste product. In order to
get rid of CO2, capillaries around muscle will undergo systemic gas exchange, having
CO2 diffuse into the capillaries and oxygen diffusing out into the muscle. So while
inspiration rates increase due to oxygen intake requirements, expiration essentially
increases due to CO2 buildup, which is then decreased at pulmonary gas exchange,
which is when capillaries around alveoli have oxygen diffuse into the capillaries and
CO2 diffuse out into the alveoli in order to be expelled through expiration. Visually,
you can clearly notice the gradual positive trend of all three measured variables (tidal
volume, heart rate and breathing rate) as participants in figure 1 would approach
higher intensities in the leg press exercise. When looking at figure 2, all three
variables look rather flat throughout the whole exercise period, with tidal volume
varying greatly throughout the intervals with no clear or gradual increase/decrease
throughout. In the rowing machine experiment, the tidal volume slope was r=-0.0194,
another value which indicates a flat/unchanging response to an increase in exercise
intensity.
When looking at the 2 minute resting interval, both experiments showed strong
decreases in all of the variables (tidal volume, heart rate and breathing rate). For the
leg press experiment, participants had their heart rate, breathing rate and tidal volume
decrease over time in the resting period, with slopes of r=-0.061, r=-0.051 and
r=-0.091 respectively. For the rowing machine experiment, participants had also had
their heart rate, breathing rate and tidal volume ratios decrease in this resting period,
with values of r=-0.0783, r=-0.0933 and r=-0.306 respectively. With the resting period
results being relatively consistent between experiments in terms of slope, this means
that data collected in the exercise period of figure 2 (rowing machine experiment)
could have potentially been skewed by incorrect data collection or faulty data
collection equipment such as the spirometer and heart monitor. Either way, the shared
decrease in variable ratios between the two experiments shows that when no longer
undergoing exercise, your muscles will no longer increase venous return to the heart,
resulting in a decreased heart rate. Muscles will also no longer be undergoing
increased cellular respiration, meaning that muscles will not demand as much oxygen
or create as much CO2 as they previously were in their exercising state, meaning that
one's breathing rate and tidal volume will decrease as well.
Overall, when comparing results between the experiments, it is clear that the leg
press experiment was deemed more successful in terms of meeting the hypothesis
expectations. To be specific, it seems that undergoing a more rigorous lower body
exercise, such as the leg press in this instance, will give rise a gradual increase in heart
rate, breathing rate and tidal volume as individuals increase in their intensity of the
lower body exercise. When comparing the leg press to the rowing machine, the
rowing machine requires a more total body use. The rowing movement requires a leg
extension movement in addition to an arm pulling movement when undergoing the
concentric movement in this exercise. Compared to the leg press, individuals can
come up with multiple different methods in which they can conserve energy when
doing this exercise. The ability to have the freedom to over/undercompensate the arms
or legs when doing this exercise means that individuals have more of the ability to
retain a constant heart rate, breathing rate and tidal volume throughout the exercise
portion of the experiment. When using the leg press machine, it is difficult to
over/undercompensate anything, as the legs are required to fully extend at every
repetition, continuously requiring a consistent muscular contraction strength
depending on the exercise intensity. Due to this, this is possibly why the leg press
experiment appropriately matched the hypothesis compared to the rowing machine.
Although there was a clear difference between resting and exercise in the rowing
machine experiment, there was a lack of an increase in heart rate, breathing rate and
tidal volume ratios as exercise intensity increased.
For future improvements to this experiment, it is important to acknowledge the
20-30 seconds of rest that each participant undergoes when having their tidal volume
and breathing frequency measured. During this time, participants are given an almost
too big time frame to stabilize their heart rate have parasympathetic input affect the
heart’s contractility. If participants were somehow given a spirometer that was able to
used without having to stop the exercise all together to have breathing rate and tidal
volume measured, then there would be potential for results which fit the hypothesis in
a much more convincing manner; reaching higher slopes and overall greater ratios for
exercise/resting breathing rate, heart rate and tidal volume as a result. For the rowing
machine experiment, the fact that the participants would have to stop exercising for 20
seconds to use the spirometer could very well be why there was not a convincing
positive slope in any of the three variables during the exercise portion of the
experiment. Future experiments should attempt to get rid of this pause to exercise in
order to prevent any potential flat/ unchanging slopes when experiment on their
specific exercise.

Literature cited:

Vaux-Bjerke, A. (2017, September 11). Why Does Your Breathing Rate Increase
During Exercise? Retrieved December 01, 2017, from
https://www.livestrong.com/article/149316-why-does-your-breathing-rate-increase-du
ring-exercise/
Sroufe, L. A. (1971). Effects of depth and rate of breathing on heart rate and heart rate
variability. ​Psychophysiology​, ​8​(5), 648-655.