Changes in physiological indicators during the first bungee jump

Abstract

During a bungee jump, numerous physiological responses occur in the body of a jumper, such as mild dizziness, increased sweating, and rapid breathing. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the physiological parameters of subjects before, immediately before and after the first bungee jump, by monitoring the heart rate, blood pressure and perception of fear. Subject sample was formed by 17 students of the Faculty of Kinesiology from Zagreb, who did not have experience with bungee jumps until the beginning of the research. The sample of variables was made of the values of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and perception of fear. The results indicated that prior to the jump, the heart rate and blood pressure values were within the limits of normal values and the perception of fear was very small. Immediately before the jump, the heart rate and blood pressure increased and the perception of fear increased significantly. After the jump, there was a normalization of the heart rate, blood pressure, and reduced perception of fear. The results of this study suggest that there are many physiological reactions in the human body happening during high-adrenaline activities.