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BBiologyS1 to S4Medicine · Health

Health lab: the heart and exercise

How fast does your heart beat when you run, and how quickly does it recover? Measure the pulse like a nurse and compare fit and less active learners.

beats/minexercise → restpulse × 4
LevelS1 to S4 (and IGCSE)
TimeAbout 30 min
You useRates, percentages, graphs
PriceFree: no account

🎯 Aim

To investigate how exercise affects heart rate and how fitness affects recovery.

You will learn to

  • Measure the pulse and calculate heart rate.
  • Calculate percentage change and cardiac output.
  • Explain why heart rate rises in exercise.
  • Compare recovery times as a sign of fitness.

🧭 What to do

  1. Choose Step test (3 min) and Average learner. Tap Start.
  2. Tap Count the pulse for 15 s at rest, during exercise and during recovery.
  3. Read the time to return to the resting rate.
  4. Change the Fitness and the Activity and compare the graphs.
  5. Answer the questions with the class data.
  6. Write your conclusion and download your lab report.

🔬 Lab bench

📋 The data

Pulse counts (beats in 15 s) of two learners before and after a step test.

🧠 Investigate: answer from the data

Type your answer and tap Check. Use 💡 Hint first; open the method only when you are stuck.

📄 My lab report

Your report collects the aim, your data table, the graphs, your answers and your conclusion. It is made on your phone or computer: nothing is sent to anyone.

Check your conclusion

Heart rate rises during exercise because working muscles respire faster and need more oxygen and glucose, and more carbon dioxide must be removed. Fitter people have a lower resting rate, a larger stroke volume, a smaller rise and a faster recovery. Counting for 15 s and multiplying by 4 measures the rate at one moment.

➕ Get more from this experiment

📝 Free

Print the worksheet (button above), download the data, and save your report. Teachers can project this page in class.

📦 Premium Lab Pack

1 000 RWF

  • Practical worksheet: pulse and the step test in the class
  • Data analysis and fitness questions
  • Teacher guide and answer key
  • Exam-style questions with marking scheme

👩‍🏫 For teachers

Use it as a practical when apparatus is missing, as homework, or as a project. Free lesson plans help you plan, teach and assess.

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DONAT STEM Interactive Labs · original work by BIZIYAREMYE Donat · data are realistic models for learning · free forever