Effects of physiological conditions upon the heart rate response during submaximal work

Abstract

In order to examine the effects of physiological conditions on the heart rate response to work, seven healthy male students performed submaximal work on a bicycle ergometer under each of six physiological conditions, alcohol consumption (3 milliliters of shochu per 1 kilogram of body weight), food deprivation (24 hrs), food satiation (two portions of dinner), sleep deprivation (36 hrs), physical fatigue (after exhaustive running) and normal conditions. The work load was individually determined so that a subject's heart rate under normal conditions showed 140 ± 5 beats/min and he performed these six kinds of work tests with the same work load. The mean heart rates during work under conditions of alcohol consumption and physical fatigue were significantly higher than that under normal conditions. The mean heart rate under conditions of sleep deprivation was 3.4 beats/min lower than that under normal conditions though this change was not statistically significant. The changes of heart rate were greater at rest than at work, except for the case of sleep deprivation. Under the conditions of sleep and food deprivation, inter-individual differences were greater at work than at rest.