Effects of an endurance exercise program on cardiovascular variables of a group of middle-aged men

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an endurance exercise program on a group of middle-aged men. Ten subjects were tested before and after seventeen weeks of endurance training at The University of British Columbia using five tests, three of which were tests of cardiovascular condition. The tests used are as follows: 1. Schneider Test Variables are: lying pulse rate, standing pulse rate, post-exercise pulse rate, time for pulse rate to return to standing value, difference between pulse rate lying to standing, and standing to post-exercise difference, lying systolic blood pressure, standing systolic blood pressure, the difference between lying and standing systolic blood pressure and Schneider index score. 2. Progressive Pulse Ratio Variables are: recovery pulse counts for rates of 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 steps per minute, average ratio and average angle. 3. Pulse Pressure Wave. (Brachial Sphygmograph) Variables are: A. Sitting area under the curve, systolic amplitude, dicrotic notch amplitude, fatigue ratio, diastolic amplitude, rest-to-work ratio, obliquity angle, systolic time, diastolic time, pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure. B. Standing area under the curve, pulse rate, systolic amplitude, difference between sitting and standing systolic amplitude. C. Post-Exercise systolic amplitude 4. Body Fat Measurements Variables are: cheek fold, abdominal fold, hip fold, front thigh fold, gluteal fold, rear thigh fold, sum of all and average. 5. Body Weight Significant changes at the .05 level of confidence occurred in ten variables of forty-four used in this study. A significant reduction in body fat at the .05 level of confidence occurred in the abdominal fold, front thigh fold, gluteal fold, sum of all and average of all, though a reduction in body weight was not significant at the .05 level of confidence. Sitting pulse rate, sitting systolic blood pressure, standing airea under the curve and standing pulse rate of the Pulse Pressure Wave were significant at the .05 level of confidence. One variable of the Schneider Test - time for the pulse to return to standing value - was significant at the .05 level of confidence. No significant changes occurred in the Progressive Pulse Ratio Test variables. Only three correlation co-efficients were of sufficient size to be considered significantly different from zero. These were the co-efficients of correlation between attendance and average pulse ratio, front thigh fat fold and rear thigh fat fold. Although only five of thirty-five cardiovascular variables showed statistically significant improvements, the members of the group stated that their tolerance to the stress of the endurance exercise program had improved.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat