Protocol
Please note that for every procedure in this experiment excluding blood pressure, the PowerLab system was utilized. Labchart software was also used to analyze the data. All graphs and tests run were done on the Prism system.
Procedure 1 (Blood Pressure)
The appropriate sized blood pressure cuff was placed around the upper portion of the participant’s arm. The arm was then positioned to be level with their heart. The stethoscope was then placed over the participant’s brachial artery while their pulse was being located at their wrist. The blood pressure cuff was then inflated until a pulse at the wrist could no longer be felt, before adding 30 mmHg more. The next step was slowly deflating the blood pressure cuff while listening to the brachial artery through the stethoscope. When the first noise is heard, systolic pressure is reached, the pressure was recorded as such. The blood pressure cuff was slowly deflated until another sound was heard, diastolic pressure is reached at this point. The pressure was recorded as such and removed the cuff was removed from the volunteer’s arm. This was done before and after the volunteer has completed the exercise. The before was taken right before the exercise while the after was recorded just two minutes after the exercise was completed.
Procedure 2 (Push button/Macro)
The push button switch was connected to Input 2 while the finger pulse transducer was connected to Input 3 on the front of the panel on the PowerLab. The hardware must be connected before turning on and opening the settings file. The pulse transducer was secured and the volunteer was instructed to click the push button as soon as they were given an auditory cue. The auditory cue was from a macro that produced a tone regularly. The time lapse from when the stimulus appeared to when the subject pressed the push button was recorded as the subject’s reaction time. There was no pattern to when the auditory cue was being given so as to eliminate any confounds. This part of the experiment took place until there were five responses recorded from each individual. The responses were then averaged before the standard deviation was taken. The averages before and after for each individual were compared graphically and their statistical difference was analyzed using a t-test. This was done before and after the volunteer completed the exercise. The reaction time was measured right before exercise and approximately a minute and a half after the exercise.
Procedure 3 (Pulse Transducer/Heart rate)
The finger pulse transducer was connected to Input 2 on the PowerLab. The transducer is placed on the pad of the middle finger with Velcro to secure it tightly. If too loose, a reading will be difficult to record. The volunteer will be facing away from the monitor at all times and their hand will be relaxed without resting the pulse transducer on anything. The transducer will record for approximately 30 seconds to allow for a few full wave forms to be present. The waveform cursor within the Lab Chart software will be used to calculate amplitude and time differences to further calculate the heart rate. The pulse transducer was used right before the exercise as well as about 45 seconds after the exercise was completed.
Procedure 4 (Pulse Oximetry)
The oximeter was placed on the middle finger of one of the individual's hands. The laser should be on the pad of the finger, not the nail. The oximeter was then connected to the oximeter pod and then the PowerLab, Input 1. Our created settings file was then opened while the volunteer was facing away from the monitor with their hand flat and still. Their pulse oximetry was then recorded for one minute to allow for an evening out. This was measured right before and approximately 45 seconds after the volunteer completed the exercise.
Statistical analysis
Results
Subheading for results 1 (Effects of exercise on heart rate)
Subheading for results 2 (Effects of exercise on blood pressure)
Subheading for results 3 (Effects of exercise on pulse oximetry)
Subheading for results 4 (Effects of exercise on pulse transducer)