Running for your heart

Author: Maddie Van Beek

This last weekend was full of running events all around the US! The NCAA Indoor Track Championships for college divisions I, II, and III were going on, as well as the USATF Indoor Track Championships, where some of the best track athletes in the nation compete. Beyond those huge events, there was a US 15K championship road race where some of the top long distance runners competed. 


Let’s look at some of the results and practice our math skills!


Laura Roesler ran 2:02.44 in the 800m at the USATF Indoor Championships and got 2nd place. If the track were 200m long, what pace was she running per lap? 

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Erin Teschuk got 4th in the 3000m at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. She ran 9:08. If the track were 200m long, what pace was she running per lap? What mile pace was Erin running? (For simplicity’s sake, you can find her pace for 1600m, which is very close to a mile)

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Brady Speicher ran 4:15.34 in the mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. The winner ran 4:12.69. On average, how many seconds apart were they per lap? ​

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The first place woman at the US 15K Championships ran 50:34, and the first place man ran 44:37. On average, what did they run per 5K? What mile pace were they running? What was the difference between their mile paces? ​

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Because of all the recent running events, we are going to focus today on how exercise affects your heart! 


How does running affect your health? 

Running makes your heart stronger and healthier. Runners are more likely to have a lower resting heart rate as well as a lower heart rate when exercising. A strong heart may help prevent heart disease and other health issues.

​Even five minutes of running a day can make a difference! Read this article for more information: 

How does running make a difference?

Before we get started, write down what you know about the relationship between your heart and exercise. ​

Click on the link below to play a game that demonstrates how activity affects your heart rate. 

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/keephealthy.html

Follow-up questions:
1. When is your heart rate at its lowest? 
2. What makes your heart rate speed up?
3. Does the intensity of exercise increase or decrease the effect on your heart rate? 


YOU WILL NEED:

• A track (or open space to run)
• Stopwatch
• A friend to time you

Here’s what to do!​


First, we are going to find our resting heart rate. Find your pulse in your neck and count the beats for 15 seconds. 

1. Check your heart rate 3 times for 15 seconds and then find the average. Multiply that average by 4 to find your average beats per minute. This is your resting heart rate. 
2. Now you are going to find the difference in your heart rate for running different distances and speeds. Head to a track or find an open area where you can run. 
3. Make a prediction: Will your heart rate be higher when you run for longer, slower distances, or will your heart rate be higher when you run faster, shorter distances? Or is it somewhere in between? 
4. For each exercise, your partner will time you, then you will take your heart rate immediately afterwards to find how much your heart rate increased. Next, you will continue to take your heart rate for 15 seconds every minute until your heart rate returns to your resting heart rate. 
5. It’s always good to jog a bit before you run hard, so jog at a slow pace for 5 minutes to warm up. After your jog, take your heart rate for one minute. Record. Continue to take your heart rate every minute for 15 seconds until your beats per minute return to your resting rate. Record how many minutes it took for your heart rate to come down. 
6. Next, you’re going to run hard for 10 minutes (not a jog, but not a sprint). Have your partner time you and tell you when to stop. When you’re done, take your heart rate, record, then record how long it takes your heart rate to come down to its resting rate. 
7. This time, run 800m around the track as fast as you can (800m at an outdoor track is 2 laps). If you don’t have access to a track, just run hard for 2 minutes. This pace should be faster than the 10 minutes you just ran, but still not a sprint. Again, take your heart rate and record how long it takes to come down. 
8. Now, you’re going to be a sprinter! Use all the speed you have to sprint 200m. If you don’t have access to a track, just run as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Record your heart rate and recovery time. 
9. Analyze your results. When was your heart rate the highest? Which event required the most recovery time? Compare your results to your predictions. Were your predictions close? 
10. To cool down, jog at a slow pace for 5 minutes. This will help keep you from getting sore. Don’t forget to stretch once your done! 

Interested in other health-related activities? Check out some of our blogs below!
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/why-is-heart-health-so-important
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/how-does-caffeine-affect-the-body
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/how-much-sugar-is-in-your-favorite-can-of-soda


References
http://www.stack.com/a/sports-science-experiments