Brent Evans

Effects on Respiration by Hyperventilation, Sitting Quietly, and Exercising

Observation/Background

Respiration is an essential element of life in humans. Respiration is a process of gaseous

exchange in which the lungs, for humans, receive O2 and release CO2 and then transport the

gases received to the circulatory system. The circulatory system, in turn, carries these gases

throughout the whole body through the blood stream. This is vital in order to get the proper

nutrients to keep the body’s cells, organs, and tissues functioning properly and prevent death of

the organism.

The respiratory process seems simple to us because it is an in unconscious action. We do

it without even thinking about it. But, it is a rather complex process. Air is received through the

mouth or nasal passage, is carried down through pharynx, larynx, and vocal chords, then is

carried towards the lungs through the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, and then finally to the

lungs where the air is stored in tiny air sacs called alveoli. Then there is the process of releasing

air from the lungs. In this process, the lungs pass the gases through branching tubes and then is

expelled by the diaphragm and out the nose and/or mouth.

There are different things that can impede upon or fluctuate the respiratory. There are

chemicals in the air almost everywhere that our lungs weren’t set up to tolerate. Pollutants in the

air cause respiratory problems. Hyperventilating is a danger as well because it sends too much

CO2 through the bloodstream and that causes control centers to stop sending signals to the

diaphragm and rib muscles. And the control centers try to maintain the correct balance of O 2 and

CO2 and regulate and maintain the respiratory system.

 So the question in this experiment is, how do hyperventilation and exercise affect

respiratory rate? My hypothesis is that if a person is exercising then the respiratory rate will alter

the most, followed by hyperventilating, and then sitting. This is based on the fact that exercise, in

my estimation, will cause the need for more to come in order to regulate the body, thus making it

hard for a person to hold their breath.

Methods

In this experiment, we will be testing each of the different methods (sitting quietly,

exercising, and hyperventilating) and how each of them effect the respiratory process. To do this

we will to first have a partner, and then you will need a timer, pencil or pen, and a piece of paper

to record your data.

To start the experiment there is a certain procedure. In the procedure, first the subject

worked with a partner and measure how long they can hold their breath. While sitting still, the

subject breathed normally for a minute. Then, the subject took a deep breath, held their nose, and

held their breath for as long as they could. As soon as that is finished, the subject recorded their

data onto a table. Next the subject tested hyperventilating. To do this, while sitting, they

continued to take deep, forced breaths for one minute. The subject took a final deep breath, held

their nose, and then held their breath for as long as possible, then recorded the data onto a table.

Finally, the subject tested exercise. To do this, the subject jogged in place for a minute. Then,

immediately sat down, took a deep breath, held their nose, and hold their breath for as long as

possible. Then, the subject recorded the date onto a table. Then the subject will repeat the same

process but for their partner, and the partner shall collect their own data. Finally, the subject to

the instructor their results and the instructor totaled the average for the whole class.
 The independent variable of this experiment was the exercise, hyperventilating, and

sitting still. The dependent variable of the experiment was the respiratory rate of the subject. The

experimental group was the hyperventilating and exercising part of the experiment. The control

group was the part where you sat quietly and breathed normally in the experiment.

Results

The results varied greatly from the different types of activities focused on changing the

respiratory pattern. For example, the subject could hold their breath for 52.16 seconds while

sitting quietly, 58.78 seconds hyperventilating, and 9.85 seconds after exercising.

As the graph and table below show, there were parts of the subject’s personal data that

were above and there were parts that were below the class averages. The subject’s respiratory

rate while sitting quietly was 1.10 seconds above the class average (personal: 52.16, class

average: 51.16). The subject’s respiratory rate while hyperventilating was significantly below the

class average along with the subject’s respiratory rate while hyperventilating.
 Number of seconds able to hold breath after:

Sitting Quietly Hyperventilating Exercising

Personal data 52.16 58.78 9.85

Class average 51.06 67.23 18.94

Respiratory Rate (in seconds)

70
62.73
60 58.78
52.16 51.06
50

40

30

20
9.85
10
1.8
0
Sitting Quietly Hyperventilating Exercising

Personal Results Class Averages

Discussion

The graph and table state in both personal and the class average that the respiratory rate was
the highest after hyperventilating, followed by sitting quietly, and then, by a rather large margin,
exercise came in last. This makes sense because during hyperventilation the control centers stop
regulating muscle control in the diaphragm and rib muscle areas because there is a high concentration
of CO2 in the blood stream. It is also fitting the exercise would come in last in this particular exercise. The
concentration of oxygen in the blood stream diminishes after exercise and oxygen is craved by the body
making it difficult for the subject to hold their breath.

The results did not necessarily match the personal hypothesis of the subject. The hypothesis was
that exercise would affect respiration rate the most, followed by hyperventilating, then sitting quietly.
The results say that the respiration rate of the subject was affected most by exercise, then sitting
quietly, and finally hyperventilating. So, though it was close to the subject’s hypothesis, the subject
didn’t know all the information necessary to make the most educated guess.

Two problems that could have happened as a result of human error are lack equality distributed
through breaths during each part of the experiment and lack of following instructions to the direct
point. And if retested, that could be more accurate and lead to a more accurate reading of the subject’s
data. Further recommendations would be to experiment with other strenuous activity and the effects on
the expansion of the lungs and respiratory rate. That would help to learn how much air could be
contained as a result of the various different types of activity.
Works Cited

Campbell N, Reece J, Simon E, Taylor M. Biology: Concepts and Connections. Fifth Edition. San Francisco,
California: Benjamin Cummings; 2006

Gunjan S, Shuster M, Tontonoz M, Janet Vigna. Biology: For a Changing World with Physiology. Second
Edition. New York, New York: W.H. Freeman and Company; 2014