Are changes in blood pressure and heart
rate after exercise different between first
year male and female Biomedical
students?
, 1. Introduction
Systolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart pumps. The
diastolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart is filling.
The systolic blood pressure is always higher than the diastolic pressure.
The immediate effect of exercise on heart rate and blood pressure is that the blood pressure
rises, as well as the heart rate. However, in case of long-term exercise, the body adapts,
resulting in a lower resting heart rate and cardiac hypertrophy. [1]
Previous research states that there is a difference in response to exercise between males and
females. Males mainly respond to exercise by increasing blood pressure, females, however,
mainly respond to exercise by increasing heart rate. [2] This could be explained by the fact
that the male heart is bigger than the female heart and therefore it pumps more blood per
contraction and the heart rate does not have to go up as much while exercising.
There are four fundamental mechanisms that are responsible for the cardiovascular response
to exercise; mechanical, metabolic, autonomic, and hormonal. At first, the mechanical system
is activated by the skeletal muscle pump system, resulting in an increase in cardiac output and
venous return. Then, within a few seconds, the metabolic mechanisms in the contracting
muscle are activated, this causes the resistance vessels to dilate, which results in an increased
blood flow. Simultaneously the autonomic nervous system starts to change as the
hypothalamus senses that the sympathetic outflow from the medulla increases and the
parasympathetic outflow decreases. As a result, the heart rate increases and resistance and
capacitance vessels in the splanchnic circulation and nonactive muscles are constricted to help
maintain the arterial and central venous pressure. The hormonal mechanism is activated by
the sympathetic activity, as it takes longer for the hormonal mechanism to work, there are
almost no immediate effects on the cardiovascular system. [3]
The focus in this study lays on the effects of the mechanical, metabolic and autonomic
mechanisms as the research aims are heart rate and blood pressure. Another topic of interest is
whether the effects on the heart rate and blood pressure differ in males and females, resulting
2
rate after exercise different between first
year male and female Biomedical
students?
, 1. Introduction
Systolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart pumps. The
diastolic blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart is filling.
The systolic blood pressure is always higher than the diastolic pressure.
The immediate effect of exercise on heart rate and blood pressure is that the blood pressure
rises, as well as the heart rate. However, in case of long-term exercise, the body adapts,
resulting in a lower resting heart rate and cardiac hypertrophy. [1]
Previous research states that there is a difference in response to exercise between males and
females. Males mainly respond to exercise by increasing blood pressure, females, however,
mainly respond to exercise by increasing heart rate. [2] This could be explained by the fact
that the male heart is bigger than the female heart and therefore it pumps more blood per
contraction and the heart rate does not have to go up as much while exercising.
There are four fundamental mechanisms that are responsible for the cardiovascular response
to exercise; mechanical, metabolic, autonomic, and hormonal. At first, the mechanical system
is activated by the skeletal muscle pump system, resulting in an increase in cardiac output and
venous return. Then, within a few seconds, the metabolic mechanisms in the contracting
muscle are activated, this causes the resistance vessels to dilate, which results in an increased
blood flow. Simultaneously the autonomic nervous system starts to change as the
hypothalamus senses that the sympathetic outflow from the medulla increases and the
parasympathetic outflow decreases. As a result, the heart rate increases and resistance and
capacitance vessels in the splanchnic circulation and nonactive muscles are constricted to help
maintain the arterial and central venous pressure. The hormonal mechanism is activated by
the sympathetic activity, as it takes longer for the hormonal mechanism to work, there are
almost no immediate effects on the cardiovascular system. [3]
The focus in this study lays on the effects of the mechanical, metabolic and autonomic
mechanisms as the research aims are heart rate and blood pressure. Another topic of interest is
whether the effects on the heart rate and blood pressure differ in males and females, resulting
2
