Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1971

Thesis Director

Walter S. Lowell

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the changes associated with blood pH and different exercise work loads during competition. Finger tip blood samples (1 milliliter), were obtained from 33 male subjects from the varsity swimming and track teams of Eastern Illinois University. The samples were taken prior to exercise and between three and seven and one half minutes after cessation of the event. The blood samples were analyzed with a Radiometer Micro Blood pH Unit. The subjects were chosen on the basis of the events in which they competed. The swimming subjects competed in the 100, 200, 500, and 1000 yard freestyle events while the track subjects competed in the 440 and 880 yard runs and the mile and two mile runs. The results from the events comparable in duration and intensity were statistically analyzed using the student t and correlation techniques.

In analyzing the data it was concluded: 1) a drastic pH decrease does occur after exercise, 2) the lower mean post-exercise pH values and greater pH changes occurred after the events of short duration and high intensity, 3) that relatively high positive correlations are found between the duration of the track event and the post-x pH values and pH changes, 4) in all comparisons the track events produced greater mean pH changes and lower mean post-exercise pH values than did the comparable swimming events.

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