Standard monitoring methods and tables

Heart Rate:

• Heart Rate Monitoring
• Rate of Percieved exertion

Lung Function:

• Spiromertry 
• Peak Flow

Body weight and composition:

• Skinfold thickness
• Underwater weighting
• Height and weight charts
• BMI
• Wasit Circumference 
• Body Impedance analysis (BIA) - is a method of measuring body fat percent by sending a low-level, safe electrical current through the body

• For adults. the body mass index is used to calculate whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight or overweight or obese for their height.
• BMI allows for natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particalur height.
• The calculations divides the adults weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared

Strength:

Standardised measure good and for showing progression.

Limitation:

It doesn't take fat content and body build into account.

Underweight - BMI less than 18.50

Healthy weight - BMI 18.50 - 24.99

Overweight - BMI 25.00 - 29.99

Obese - BMI 30 or more

Your can measure your heart rate by - counting how many times your heart beats in a minute. 

What can raise your pulse?

• Increase in temperature
• Increase in exercise/intensity
• Increase in intensity of emotion

What's a normal heart rate?

• Resting heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute (bpm)
• The fitter you are, the lower you resting heart rate, for example many athletes may have a resting heart rate of 40-60 bpm or lower

Exercise and Pulse

• The faster your heart rate recovers - or slows down - the fitter and healthier your heart is
• Aerobic activities such as walking, running, swimming are good types of exercise, as they increase your heart and breathing rates.

A heart rate monitor is useful for recording your heart rate when resting and during exercise.

Benefits:

• They provide immediate and more accurate measurements before, during and after exercise
• Monitors transmit the electrical activity of the heart through the chest strap to a watch receiver or a computer

Respiratory rate is the amount of breaths per one minute.

Example: 

• Typical 18 years old - 12 breathes per minute at rest which equals to approximately 6 litres of air passing through lungs
• Exercise can increase respiratory rate by as much as 30-40 breaths per minute.

Tidal Volume is the amount of air you breath in or out with each breath.

Example:

• On average it is approximately 0.5
• Exercise can also increase the tidal volume

Minute Volume is the amount of air passing through the lungs each minute

It is calculate by multiplying our breath rate by the amount of air taken in with each breath 

Minute Volume = Respiratory Rate X Tidal Volume

Spirometry is a simple test used to measure how much air you can breathe in and out in a single breath (i.e. Tidal Volume)

• Seated during the test, a soft clip is placed on the nose to stop air escaping
• Inhale fully, so lungs are filled
• Exhale quickly and forcefully, making sure the lungs are fully emptied
• Read Vital Capacity
• Repeated three times to ensure a reliable result

• Start on zero
• Blow as hard as possible, into the disposable mouthpiece
• Read scale

By measuring how fast youre able to breathe out, your peak flow score indicates whether your airways are narrowed.

Your peak flow score - also knwon as your peak expiratory flow (PEF)  - will be displayed on the side of your peak flow meter. This is given in litres of air breathed out per minute 

Normal Peak Flow Range - 400 to 600l/min(dm3/min)

Differences:

• The main difference between a peak flow meter and spirometer is that a peak flow meter measures the rate at which air is expelled from the lungs, while a spirometer measures the total volume of air that is inhaled and exhaled.

• This is best done by combining heart rate measurement and ratings of percieved exertion (RPE)
• RPE is a quick way of qauntifying subjective exercise intensity, but has been shown to correlate well with heart rate and oxygen uptake

Monitoring the intensity of exercise is important in working at a pace that is cahllenging enough to help you reach your goals, but not so hard that you blow a lung 

The standard is the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, which ranges from 0-20.

Strengths:

• Gives overall perception effort
• Shows progression in effort level
• Safety in exercise-lowers risk of over exertion

Limitations:

• Subjective measure
• Perceptions may vary
• Not good for comparisons between individuals 
• Does not measure fitness

Respiratory Rate - The amount of air breathed in one minute. 

Tidal Volume  - The volume of breath entering and leaving the lungs in one breath

Minute Volume - The amountt of air passing through your lungs each minute

Total Lung Capacity - Is it vital capacity and residual volume added together

Residual Volume - The remaining air in your lungs after you have breathed out

Vital Capacity - The amount of air you can exhale in one full deep breath out

Spirometry - An instrument for measuring lung volumes. Pulmonary functioning test

Peak Flow - A common measurement of lung function using a peak-flow meter

Height and Weight 

Standardise; easy to use

Body build and fat content not taken into account

BMI

Standardise; easy to use

Body fat content not taken into account. Muscular person may have high BMI but will be fit. Needs to apply a calculation.

Pulse Rates

Standardised data/can make comparisons, one of the best indicators of fitness, easy to measure, doesnt require any specialised equipment to measure

More difficult to measure when moving, some people may find it hard to babe, to record when moving requires equipment, can be affected by other factors e.g. anxiety/health conditions

Peak Flow Meter

Easy to use and useful for people with respiratory diseases, easy to purchase, portabel/reading taken quickly and easily

Only measures peak flow, which on own does not measure fitness

Spirometry

Several measurements, gves more info of fitness e.g. vital capacity gives indicators of aerobic fitness, shows progression

Expensive, requires expert and data interpretation, good practising of disposing mouth guards, less likely to have access

Percieved Exertion Scales 

Easy to use; keeps exercise at a safe level, shows progression in effort

Do not measure fitness, subjective, not good for comparison

• BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain normal body functions
• It is the amount of calories per day your body burns, regardless of exercise 
• It changes with age, weight, height, gender, diet and exercise habits