EFFECT OF PHYSICAL LOAD ON 9th GRADE PUPILS’ HEART RATE DURING PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES

Abstract

One of the major issues of pedagogical nature is a lack of identification and assessment of objective physical load’s intensity during physical education classes. Upon analysis of knowledge and opinion of ninth form pupils regarding physical load during physical education classes it was established that the most energy consuming activity for the majority of pupils was a long distance running. Seeking to objectively evaluate physical load with a heart rate monitor “Polar FT 80“ a heart rate (HR) of two healthy pupils of medium physical fitness was observed for three lessons, change in physical load was assessed, its intensity was identified. It was established that physical load during the classes being observed, the main activity of which was a long distance running was of a training type and increased in intensity with every lesson. During all of the lessons, the HR values fluctuated significantly (often increased and decreased). Pupils’ HR depended on a content of physical education classes, intensity of tasks and individually made efforts. Both observed pupils during each class were practising not less than half of the time in a hard intensity zone (HR – 146-185 bpm), while in a maximum intensity zone (HR – 186-202 bpm) – only a third of class. Received results reveal that during the introductory parts of the lesson, even though they were long, physical load was increased too fast (HR become frequent fast, i.e. in 2 minutes). During the main part of classes the pupils reached 3-6 HR tops. Individual recovery of the observed pupils‘ HR after a maximum physical load was good. During the final part of the class, HR decreased gradually and reached the recommended norms. KEYWORDS: heart rate, physical load, intensity zones, fatigue, physical education class.