Heart Rate

In professional soccer, monitoring heart rate is important for optimizing player performance and endurance, as it provides insights into physical exertion and recovery. Maintaining an appropriate heart rate helps players manage their energy levels, avoid overtraining, and achieve peak performance during matches and training.

Objectives

Students will learn how to calculate resting heart rate and determine what can cause their heart rate to increase. Students will practice recording their heart rates before and after completing various physical activities.

Materials

Worksheet
Stopwatch
Heart Rate Monitor (if applicable)

Academic Standards

6th Grade

Math 6.4.H The student is expected to convert units within a measurement system, including the use of proportions and unit rates.

Math 6.5.A The student is expected to represent mathematical and real-world problems involving ratios and rates using scale factors, tables, graphs, and proportions.

PE 6.8.A The student is expected to describe the long-term benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity on overall health and wellness.

PE 6.8.B The student is expected to describe the frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle and how it improves fitness in relation to aerobic and anaerobic activities.

PE 6.8.C The student is expected to describe health-related and skill-related fitness components and their impact on personal fitness.

7th Grade

Math 6.4.H The student is expected to convert units within a measurement system, including the use of proportions and unit rates.

Math 6.5.A The student is expected to represent mathematical and real-world problems involving ratios and rates using scale factors, tables, graphs, and proportions.

PE 6.8.A The student is expected to describe the long-term benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity on overall health and wellness.

PE 6.8.B The student is expected to describe the frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle and how it improves fitness in relation to aerobic and anaerobic activities.

PE 6.8.C The student is expected to describe health-related and skill-related fitness components and their impact on personal fitness.

7th Grade

Math 7.4.B The student is expected to calculate unit rates from rates in mathematical and real-world problems.

Science 7.13.A The student is expected to identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.

PE 7.8.A The student is expected to analyze the long-term benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity on overall health and wellness.

PE 7.8.B The student is expected to apply basic frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle in a variety of aerobic and anaerobic activities.

PE 7.8.C The student is expected to apply health-related and skill-related fitness components and explain how each component impacts personal fitness.

8th Grade

PE 8.8.A The student is expected to perform a variety of lifelong physical activities and explain their effects on overall health and wellness.

PE 8.8.B The student is expected to perform basic frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle in a variety of self-selected aerobic and anaerobic activities.

PE 8.8.C The student is expected to develop and analyze a personal fitness plan using health-related and skill-related fitness components.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think it's important for soccer players to understand and monitor their heart rate during games? How might fluctuations in heart rate affect player performance?
Can you identify any soccer players known for their exceptional cardiovascular fitness and ability to manage their heart rate effectively during games? How do you think their conditioning contributes to their success?
How might strategies to manage heart rate in MLS soccer differ from those used in other sports or physical activities? What unique challenges do soccer players face in regulating heart rate during gameplay?

Reflection Questions

Do you think professional athletes monitor their heart rate?
What did you notice about your heart rate for the different activity levels?
Which activity resulted in the highest heart rate?
Which activity resulted in the lowest heart rate?

Answer Key

Students’ responses should reflect their own data from their heart rates.

Based on students’ individual heart rate.
Based on students’ individual heart rate.
Your heart rate adjusts to match your body’s changing demand for oxygen and nutrients. During activity, muscles require more blood, so the nervous system signals the heart to beat faster and pump harder. After exercise, it gradually slows down as these demands decrease and your body cools itself.

Setup

This lesson will require an athletic component where students need space to move around and get their heart rates up. Before the start of the lesson, ensure that you have a space where students can complete that portion of the activity safely.

Vocabulary

Heart rate: The speed at which the heart beats.

BPM: Beats per minute.

Activity

Start the lesson by leading students in a discussion to assess prior knowledge. You can use the questions provided as a guide or develop your own.
- In MLS soccer, players undergo short bursts of physical exertion mixed with long pauses throughout the game, which affects their heart rate. Understanding how heart rate fluctuates during gameplay is crucial for optimizing performance and preventing fatigue.
Show students the video below that explains heart rate in more detail.
- Science of Sport: Physiology Lesson
- Ask students what they learned from watching the video and answer any questions they may still have.
Discuss the significance of heart rate in MLS soccer and the impact it has on player performance.
- Importance of heart rate
  - Heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute and serves as an indicator of cardiovascular health and physical exertion.
  - In soccer, monitoring heart rate can provide valuable insights into a player's fitness level and exertion levels during high-pressure moments.
  - Understanding heart rate allows players to optimize their training, manage fatigue, and perform at their best during games.
- Impact on player performance
  - When a player’s heart rate spikes due to stress or nerves, it can affect:
    - Timing (swinging too early/late)
    - Fine motor control (pitch accuracy, throwing errors)
    - Decision-making (chasing bad pitches)
  - Players with better cardiovascular fitness and the ability to manage their heart rate effectively have a competitive advantage in maintaining peak performance throughout the game.
- Strategies to manage heart rate
  - Proper conditioning: Regular cardiovascular exercise and conditioning drills help improve overall cardiovascular fitness, allowing players to sustain higher levels of physical activity without experiencing excessive increases in heart rate.
  - Controlled breathing: Deep breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing, can help regulate heart rate and promote relaxation during intense moments of gameplay.
  - Mental focus: Maintaining focus and composure on the court can help players manage stress and prevent excessive increases in heart rate caused by nervousness or anxiety.
Students will measure their heart rate at various activity levels: at rest, after jumping jacks, after running to 1st base, and after running all four bases (inside-the-park home run).
- These activities can be changed to fit your students; they are just suggested activities.
Use the stopwatch to time students as they complete the activities.
- Record and graph heart rate after each activity.
Lead students in a short discussion at the end of the activity using the reflection questions provided or your own.

Additional Activity

Students can research in-game and resting heart rates of their favorite players/athletes, to compare with their own.
Students can research training methods to maintain lower heart rates or breathing methods that improve recovery time.
Ask students to consider how temperature, time of day and their fuel levels affect heart rates.