High altitude Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

High altitude - Essay Example The results, as illustrated in figure 1 and 2, showed that there are changes in the cardiovascular system after exercise. There is increased value in both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. The result regarding the blood pressure is consistent with other researches (Kelley & Kelley, 2000) which indicated that there is a progressive increase both the systolic and diastolic pressure. The result regarding heart rate is also consistent with several studies (Arroll & Beaglehole, 1992) which indicated that there should be an increase in the heart rate after exercise. These changes in the cardiovascular system can be associated with the increase in the release of adrenaline after exercise which can cause an increase in the heart rate and blood pressure (Van Hoof et al, 1989). Figure 1. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at rest and after exercise. (x-axis: subject; y-axis: blood pressure) Figure 2. Heart rate measured in beats per minute at rest and after exercise (x-axis: subject; y-axis: bpm) Also, results showed that there are major changes in the respiratory system after exercise. One observation is that there is an increased value in the respiratory rate (Figure 3). This is consistent with other studies which also showed an increase in the respiratory rate (Posner et al, 1992). ... The decrease in the gas volume can be attributed to the fact that the muscle of for breathing do not work maximally. It is because during exercise, the priority for the supply of oxygen is given to the muscles at work (gastrocnemius, bicep femoris etc). And lastly, regarding the gas composition, it was observed that there is an increase in CO2 while a decrease in O2 after exercise (Figure 5). The increase in CO2 and decrease in O2 is obvious because after exercise because there is a lot of work done. This work utilized more O2 and produces more CO2 through aerobic metabolism (Posner et al, 1992). Figure 3. Respiratory rate measured in breaths per minute at rest and after exercise (x-axis: subject; y-axis: number of breaths per minute) Figure 4. Gas volume measured in liters per minute at rest and after exercise (x-axis: subject; y-axis: liters of gas per minute) Figure 5. Gas composition of O2 and CO2 at rest and after exercise (x-axis: subject; y-axis: percent composition of gas) Al though not observed in the results, there are also some changes in the nervous system after exercise. Physical activity can actually improve cognitive function (Hertzog et al, 2008). Moreover, exercise can also promote protection against neurodegenerative diseases like dementia (Clement et al, 2005). And lastly, exercise can also enhance the release of nerve growth factors, which help the process of neurogenesis (McAuley, 2004). In the report, it is also stated that the students from the football team will go to La Paz, Bolivia for a series of matches during the break. It should be considered that La Paz, Bolivia is located in a high altitude and this might imply some changes in the physiological activity of the body which should be anticipated. It should be noted