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COMPARING ACTIVE ADULT WOMEN AND COLLEGE FEMALE ATHLETES HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND OXYGEN LEVEL

HE Ramsey

Abstract

Hope E. Ramsey. Montreat College, Montreat, NC.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown, heart rate and blood pressure levels increase incrementally with exercise. This study aims to determine if heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels differ in age groups of active females. METHODS: For this study, there were 3 active adult women (39.7 ± 7.5 years) and 3 college female athletes (20.3 ± 1.5 years). The subjects were asked to run with maximal effort. When completed, their blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level were taken. RESULTS: Active adult women had slightly higher resting blood pressure (115/73) and heart rate (69 bpm) than compared to college female athletes resting blood pressure (114/68) and heart rate (67 bpm). The active adult women had slightly lower blood pressure (124/79) and heart rates (149 bpm) after the workout than the college female athletes post-exercise blood pressure (129/75) and heart rate (153 bpm). Their oxygen percentages stayed the same for both resting and post-exercise (98%). CONCLUSION: Both blood pressure and heart rate increase post-exercise in active adult women and collegiate female athletes, though the increases appear to be slightly higher in the athletes. This suggests that continued engagement in activity post-college may mitigate any detrimental increases in blood pressure or heart rate due to aging. Future studies should recruit more volunteers, ensure equitable intensity levels are maintained during the activity and account for body composition changes when determining whether the increases in heart rate and blood pressure are equitable in these populations.

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