Homeostasis of Breathing Rate

By: Tyler, Kyle, Sebastian, and Lucy

Materials and Research Provided by STEM Marin and San Marin High School

Abstract: Homeostasis occurs in the respiratory system when there is too much carbon dioxide Purpose: The purpose was to find how a human’s body will try to maintain homeostasis
and too little oxygen. Breathing rate rises after a high level of physical activity to supply more during exercise and how long it will take to for a human’s body to return to homeostasis.
Procedure:
oxygen to the body. We tested this theory by measuring the breathing rate of a runner right after 1.
running 100 meters. In the first trial, the test subject’s breathing rate increased by fifteen after
sprinting. The in the other two trials the breathing rate increased by six. On average, the breathing
2.
rate increased by 9 breaths per minute after each run. The breaths per minute increased to help 3.
supply the body with more oxygen and to get rid of the carbon dioxide in the blood. This all but 4.
confirms our hypothesis that breathing rate rises after a physical activity. We generally worked 5.
6.
efficiently throughout the project, but could have had an unbiased runner.
Introduction: Homeostasis refers to how our body maintains a constant state internally while
Materials:
dealing with external interference. Breathing rate is the number of breaths per minute in a person.
Breathing rate can be record by counting the chest rises in one minute. The average respiratory
1.
rate of teenagers are 12 to 16 breaths per minute (Pediatric Respiratory Rates, N.D. Sanddal, 2.
1997). Then the average for exercise, is 40 to 50 breaths per minute. However, when the period of 3.
4.
exercise is shorter the respiratory rate will be lower (Respiratory Frequency during Exercise: The
Neglected Physiological Measure, Andrea Nicolo, 2017). For how homeostasis relates to your
breathing, your body will try to keep your constant breathing rate at your constant rate. If it can´t its
breathing rate will increase to get oxygen to parts of the body and positives muscles over other
organs during running (Homeostasis-Marathon). We knew our procedure would work because
when the human body exercises its breathing rate will increase and after running the breathing rate
will go back to normal. Our Hypothesis was if you sprint 100m, then you breathing rate will increase
to 30-40 BPM. Additionally, if you stop exercising, then your breathing rate will go back to your
normal respiratory rate and that will take about 5 minutes.
Trial 1
Trial 1: Before the 100m sprint, our runner had a breathing rate of 16 BPM. After the first
trail he had a breathing rate of 31 BPM, 2 min. 30 secs. after the run he had 26 BPM, 5
min. after the run he had a 20 BPM, by 7 min. 30 secs. His breathing rate had return to a
normal 16 BPM.
Record the breathing rate of the runner before sprint by counting how Trail 2: Before the 100m sprint, our runner had a breathing rate of 16 BPM. After the
many times their chest rises in 30 secs and multiply by 2 to find breathing second trail our runner had a 22 BPM, 2 min. 30 secs. after the run he had 18 BPM, 5 min.
rate. after the run his breathing rate had return to normal
Have subject sprint 100 meters on a ¼ mile track . Trail 3: Before the 100m sprint, our runner had a breathing rate of 16 BPM. After the third
The runner will do all the trails and sprints at the same pace. trail he had 22 BPM, 2 min. 30 secs. After the run his BPM had return to normal.
After sprint record the number of times their chest rises for 30 secs. Discussion:
Record breathing rate every 2 minutes until back to its normal. Our data shows, while exercising his breathing rate went up due to the lack of oxygen and
Do 2 more trails. the increase of carbon dioxide in the blood. The BPM after the run were: 31 for trail 1, 22
for trail 2, and 22 for trail. These results demonstrate, the body taking less breaths and
taking in larger breaths the more the body exercises. This shows that our body begins to
adapt to our current circumstances to help keep homeostasis. Additionally, the result of the
recovery time test were: 7 minutes 30 secs for trail 1, 4 minutes 30 secs for trail 2, 2
Stopwatch minutes 30 secs for trail 3. This data shows that as the test subject kept running, his
Runner breathing rate took less time to recover back to homeostasis. Our hypothesis was
Observer semi-correct. We predicted that if you exercise your breathing rate would increase and after
¼ mile track you exercise it would return to normal. Which turn out to be correct. We also predicted that
the recovery time would be 5 minutes and there would 30-40 BPM after the run would be
the same for each trail, which turn out to be incorrect. This turn out to be wrong, over time
the recovery time and BPM went down over the trails.
The things that went well on our project was that we were on task, efficient with our time,
and there were no injuries. The things that went wrong on our project was we could have
Before After run Differen Recover Recover Recovery
been a quicker to start the project and the errors in recording our data. Unfortunately we
run ce y y Interval
made some errors while collecting the data. In most of the trials the timer wasn’t started
Interval Interval 3
exactly after counting the breaths per minute. Sometimes the counting was also off.
1 2
Another possible error could be with the inconsistency of the running speed. A test that
should be done is testing the heart rate because it goes hand in hand with breathing and
16 BR 31 BR 15 BR 26 BR 20 BR 16 BR maintaining homeostasis. Another investigation could be where a test subject holds their
breath for a set amount of time, and then their breathing rate is recorded after being cut off
from oxygen for some time.

Trial 2 16 BR 22 BR 6 BR 18 BR 16 BR

Trail 1 Trail 2 Trail 3

Trial 3 16 BR 22 BR 6 BR 16 BR
Recovery time 7 minutes 30 secs 4 minutes 30 secs 2 minutes 30 secs
Works Cited
“How Is Breathing Regulated?” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group,
www.livestrong.com/article/30209-breathing-regulated/.

“How the Lungs Work.” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/how-lungs-work

https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/ems/pdf/assmttools.pdf

“Your lungs and exercise” Breathe (Sheffield, England) vol. 12,1 (2016): 97-100.