effect of physical activity on breathing rate (br) and heart

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Pre15-17 – International Drug Prevention And Rehabilitation Conference (Prevent 2015)

EFFECT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON BREATHING RATE (BR) AND HEART RATE (HR) AMONG PAPAR INMATES: HEROIN USER

Ibrahim Maclean Chong Universiti Malaysia Sabah Abstract

Objective: Physical activity has always been an intervention of various researches and it had been proven to be effective in regulating efficient cardiovascular system, where it induced lowered resting heart rate and breathing rate during exercise among sedentary and conditioned people such as diabetes and stroke. However in this investigation, inmates with drug abused are subjected in this research. The objective of this research is to identify the effect of physical activity conducted by inmates and its effect on resting heart rate and breathing rate during exercise; and indirectly investigator could conclude whether heroin would affect its user ability to participate in any sport activity. Design: Repeated measure on field test. Methods: 10 male patients with past heroin consumption (5-10 years) chosen to take part in this investigation. The choosing criterion is based on the ability and compatibility of the inmates to conduct various exercises. Self-report on daily activities is compulsory. Mean data was measured and recorded.

Results: Patients recorded a lower resting heart rate in the final test if compared with baseline data and the first post-test. Breathing rate is recorded lowest in final test compared with its baseline data. Conclusion: All patients recorded a lowered resting heart rate and breathing rate throughout the research. Also, field test in this case which is 2.4km run showed improvement which proved that their fitness level increased due to their efficiency of cardiopulmonary system.

Keywords: Heroin user; resting heart rate; Breathing rate; cardiopulmonary system

INTRODUCTION

Heroin, is originally known as one of a cough suppressant back at the 80’s which recognized from the opiates family. It recognized because of its benefits in pain relieving and euphorigenic properties. However, it contains could create the potential of the user to be addicted to its consumption. Addiction (dependence) on opiate is a chronic relapsing condition that was characterized by compulsive self-administration despite adverse consequences towards the body. World Health Organization (WHO) defines a dependence behavior as a cluster of physiological, behavioral, and cognitive phenomena on oneself.

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In this research, the investigator uses two variables as the parameters to study on cardiopulmonary efficiency of all the subjects. This research uses only manual tests as predictors to achieve the objective of research.

Breathing rate (BR), is one of the variable in this research, which indicated the regulation of breathing frequency per unit of time. Heart rate (HR), is the speed of the heartbeat, specifically the number of heartbeats per unit of time. . HR is typically expressed as beat per minute (bpm). The HR can vary according to the body’s physical needs, including the need to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. The normal adult human heart rate ranges from 60- 100 bpm (Fuster, 2001).

The investigator is trying to relate the use of drug, specifically heroin user towards their cardiopulmonary system. The aim of this experiment is to study the effect of physical activities on breathing rate and heart rate of the ex-heroin’s user of Papar inmates.

Physical Activity And Heroin

Physical activity is regarded as any form of body movement produced by muscular contraction that leads to a substantial increase in a person’s energy expenditure. For years, physical inactivity was believed to be only weakly associated of heart disease and always ignored by public health concern (Powers & Howley, 2012). However, Powell et al., (1987) found that majority of the studies indicated that level of physical inactivity predated the onset of coronary heart disease (CHD).

Several components of physical activity were initiated by Caspersen, Powell, and Christenson (1985) and were developed further by Bouchard, Shephard, Stephens, Sutton, and McPherson (1990). Potential categories include occupational activity (work), domestic chores, required programs of physical education, and leisure activity such as exercise, sport, training, dance, and play.

In sedentary person, past researches had found that physical activities would benefit them physiologically however it is still unsure how it will affects the drug user. Past researches proven that aerobic exercise would benefit drug addicts in few ways such as behavioral, physiological, and cognitively.

PROBLEM STATEMENTS

i. How do physical activities (PA) affect the breathing rate?

ii. How do physical activities (PA) affect the heart rate?

OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH The specific objectives of this study are:

i. To identify effect of physical activity on breathing and heart rate with respect to the exercises they performed while in the rehabilitation center.

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ii. Does heroin negatively affects the user’s ability to participate in a sport activity.

HYPOTHESIS Variables

i. Responding : Lowered breathing rate and resting heart rate ii. Manipulated : Physical activity (s) conducted

iii. Fixed : Heroin users

Measures of variables

Based on the above variables, 10 fixed inmates were chosen and they will conduct the aerobic training programs within eight weeks. No substitution will be made on the subjects along the training program to avoid any irrelevant data, except that chosen subjects faces any medical condition while conducting the exercise. They are also free to stop participating in the program at any moment. A consent letter will be provided to all of the subjects as an agreement before participate in this program.

Types of exercises were given towards the inmates will either result in a positive or negative effects towards the subjects. Questionnaires and interviews with the inmates will be conducted in this study, however their honesty and commitment to participate in this research are important to achieve goals.

At the end of the sessions, subjects will be measured in terms of their BR and HR to prove that the aerobic exercises conducted are (are not) suitable and hence gives a positive (or negative) results towards them within eight weeks intervention.

METHODOLOGY

The research is based on the activities that conducted by the inmates per day. They are needed to report any activity they did or performed in a day. Baseline data would be recorded before intervention and post-test data would be conducted in fourth week and eighth week within this eight week program.

In this study, 10 subjects were chosen to conduct the experiment. The choosing criterion is based on the ability and compatibility of the inmates to conduct the exercises so that there will be no difficulties on the collection of data.

Researcher uses 10 patients to obtain more accurate and consistent data. During the rehabilitation process, researcher must prepare himself to face any unexpected situation such as medications conditions throughout the weeks.

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Instrumentations

Individual basic data information Details

Age (years)

Gender (Male)

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Breathing rate (initial) (times) Heart rate (initial) (beat/min)

Materials/ Equipment

Stopwatch, Blood pressure monitor DATA COLLECTION

Pre-test: Week 1

N = 10 male; Age = 25 – 30 years; Past history = 5 – 10 years of heroin abused; Current history = Rehabilitation process

Subject Age (years) Period of drug

abused (years)

Resting Heart rate, RHR (beat/min)

Breathing rate, BR

(times/min)

Time of 2.4 km run

(min:sec)

1 26 5 61 22 18:15

2 28 5 59 22 18:26

3 28 6 58 22 19:03

4 25 5 60 19 15:30

5 25 7 62 23 20:45

6 26 5 62 21 16:00

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7 27 6 58 22 19:20

8 29 7 55 23 21:01

9 30 6 57 23 19:30

10 30 8 55 23 24:07

Post-test 1: Week 4

abused (years)

Breathing rate, BR

(times/min)

Time of 2.4 km run

(min:sec)

1 26 5 61 21 18:19

2 28 5 60 22 18:23

3 28 6 59 22 18:55

4 25 5 60 19 15:26

5 25 7 61 23 20:53

6 26 5 62 22 16:06

7 27 6 60 23 18:55

8 29 7 57 22 21:25

9 30 6 57 23 19:28

10 30 8 56 21 24:25

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Post-test 2: Week 8

abused (years)

Breathing rate, BR

(times/min)

Time of 2.4 km run

(min:sec)

1 26 5 62 20 17:45

2 28 5 60 20 17:50

3 28 6 60 21 18:30

4 25 5 61 17 15:15

5 25 7 60 21 19:45

6 26 5 61 21 16:03

7 27 6 59 20 18:40

8 29 7 58 21 21:14

9 30 6 57 21 19:21

10 30 8 58 21 24:20

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RESULTS

GRAPH 1.1: The graph showed period of drug abused by the inmates.

Irregular pattern showed by the graph.

GRAPH 1.2: The graph showed RHR of the inmates in three different tests.

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GRAPH 1.3: The graph showed breathing rate of subject in three different tests.

Based on graph 1.1, showed that majority of the inmates had used heroin for five years, followed by six years, and the least is eight years. Graph 1.2 indicated RHR of all the inmates within this eight weeks program, RHR was taken before the intervention, during, and after the program finished. RHR of the inmates showed an inconsistent and irregular pattern in all three consecutive tests. In graph 1.3, pattern of breathing rate showed a consistent and almost constant among the inmates.

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DISCUSSION

The goal of this paper was to gain a better understanding of heroin and its long-term effects on cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems. Physical activity plays an important role here as an intervention whether it could help in improving the inmates’ aerobic endurance which will benefits or reverse the effect of heroin (the least) on them.

Cardiovascular System

In previous researches, physical activity and exercise proven to assist in developing one’s cardiovascular endurance or maintain their fitness at certain level (the least). However, simply a physical activity such as walking, doing house chores, and washing car are not activities that could increase cardiovascular endurance. Fitness principle is needed in this issue where FITT (will be discussed later) might be helpful for the purpose to increase endurance for an individual.

Based on the data collection, mean RHR increased slightly from the first test till third test, which are 58.7, 59.3, and 59.6. Previous research had discussed about the irregular heart rhythm of heroin user due to effect of heroin’s on blood capillaries and the lining wall of heart.

Mechanism of heroin would suppress blood veins which might be the cause of high blood pressure, though the researcher did not measure the inmates’ blood pressure however due to blood suppression (smaller veins) means constriction occur and thus blood pressure will be higher . In sedentary people, lowered RHR indicated that their cardiovascular endurance is good however, in drug addicts, low RHR is due to the heart’s complication which forced the heart to pump more blood to the whole body. Irregular heart rhythm also might occur due to long-term effect, where heroin would defect the pacemaker where it replaced by fatty or fibrous tissue.

Pulmonary System

Based on the mean breathing rate, from the first test, 22.0, 21.8, and in post-test 2 recorded 20.3, showed a slight decrement throughout the intervention program. A normal adult would have 12 to 16 breaths per minute however respiration rates might increase with several factors. And one of the factors that would affect breathing rate is medical condition. In this research, the subjects were having past history on heroin abused for at least eight years, and this would have affected them in long-term duration especially in respiration.

High breathing rate indicated that an individual needed to breathe in at a higher rate to gain sufficient amount of oxygen level for the respiratory system to function efficiently. Based on National Institutes of Health, the contaminants in the heroin, known as talc, caused blockage in the lungs where blood cannot pass through the capillaries. This will lead to myocardial infarction especially when insufficient oxygen level occurred during exercise. Other than blockage, one of the factors that will lead to frequent ventilation (inhale and exhale) is the collapsed alveoli. The contaminants of the heroin would enter the air passages which caused the

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death of tissue and cell and hence it will enter the area where gas exchange between the oxygenated bloodstream and alveoli occur where alveoli would be affected.

Muscular System

The effect of heroin on heart and lungs would deteriorate musculoskeletal system especially when exercise is performed. First of all, when oxygen level is low, the main energy that could be used is the ATP-PC system however this system only will last for not more than 10 seconds. Then the second energy that supposed to responsible to supply energy is aerobic or oxidative system where oxygen played an important role to oxidize glucose and hence supply energy for muscle contraction to happen. Without sufficient level of oxygen, one cannot perform exercise for a longer duration. This is where muscle fatigue occurred in a short time in drug user. Lack of oxygen would only cause lactic acid to accumulate in a short time and hence would lead to muscle malfunction.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this research only showed an inconsistent result and data during the eight week intervention program. Previous researches had the same result where irregular heart beat occurred among the heroin user. However, there is limitation where duration of substance abused did not divide properly. Future research needed to discuss more on duration of substance used to have more accurate data and result. This research only used manual test and measurement, RHR using calculating pulse rate (whether carotid or brachial artery) and breathing rate using calculation on breathing process (inhale and exhale), where these method could have errors during the process might due to human error. Therefore, researcher suggested that laboratory test should be conducted to have more standardized data. Factors such as age and medical condition should be emphasized by researcher.

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REFERENCE

American College of Sports Medicine. (1990). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2355825

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Karch, S. B. (1994). Drug abused handbook. Berkeley, California: CRC Press.

Powell, K. E., Thompson, P. D., Caspersen, P. J., and Kendrick, J. S. (1987). Physical activity and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Annu Rev Public Health, 8, 253-287.

Powers, S. K., & Howley, E. T. (2012). Exercise physiology: Theory and application to fitness and performance (8^th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Shephard, R. J. (1994). Aerobic fitness and health. University of Toronto: Roy J. Shephard Zovko, A., & Criscuolo, C. L. (2009). The pharmacological effects of diacetylmorphine (heroin)

after diffusion through the blood-brain barrier