When investigating physiological responses to aerobic training, a researcher must consider the validity of their data collection methods.
Outline TWO factors that could impact the validity of heart rate measurements during an aerobic training investigation. (3 marks)
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Sample Answer – Any 2 of the following
- Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity can affect heart rate responses, potentially invalidating results if not controlled for, as they may influence the physiological variable being measured rather than the training itself.
- Psychological factors including anxiety or nervousness around testing equipment can artificially elevate heart rate measurements, reducing validity as the numbers reflect stress responses rather than true training adaptations.
- Measurement technique or equipment issues, such as incorrect placement of heart rate monitors, use of different monitoring devices between tests, or equipment malfunction/calibration errors, can result in inaccurate readings that don’t reflect true physiological responses.
- Prior activity and lifestyle factors including recent food intake, caffeine consumption, medication use, or physical activity before testing can artificially alter heart rate responses, reducing the validity of measurements as indicators of training adaptations.
- Subject-specific physiological variables like hydration status, illness, fatigue levels, or hormonal fluctuations (particularly in female participants) can significantly affect heart rate measurements, compromising validity if not controlled or accounted for.
- Testing protocol inconsistencies including variations in warm-up procedures, exercise intensity, duration of measurement periods, or recovery intervals between testing components can invalidate comparisons between pre- and post-training measurements.
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Sample Answer – Any 2 of the following
- Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity can affect heart rate responses, potentially invalidating results if not controlled for, as they may influence the physiological variable being measured rather than the training itself.
- Psychological factors including anxiety or nervousness around testing equipment can artificially elevate heart rate measurements, reducing validity as the numbers reflect stress responses rather than true training adaptations.
- Measurement technique or equipment issues, such as incorrect placement of heart rate monitors, use of different monitoring devices between tests, or equipment malfunction/calibration errors, can result in inaccurate readings that don’t reflect true physiological responses.
- Prior activity and lifestyle factors including recent food intake, caffeine consumption, medication use, or physical activity before testing can artificially alter heart rate responses, reducing the validity of measurements as indicators of training adaptations.
- Subject-specific physiological variables like hydration status, illness, fatigue levels, or hormonal fluctuations (particularly in female participants) can significantly affect heart rate measurements, compromising validity if not controlled or accounted for.
- Testing protocol inconsistencies including variations in warm-up procedures, exercise intensity, duration of measurement periods, or recovery intervals between testing components can invalidate comparisons between pre- and post-training measurements.