Responses of Lactic Acid, Blood Pressure and Blood Oxygen Saturation to Aerobic Exercise Among Amateur Athletes and Non-Athletes

ABSTRACT Exercise is any physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive and purposive to improve or maintain physical fitness. It is classified into aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is any physical activities that involves mostly actions of large muscle groups and causes the body to use more oxygen than it would while resting. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of blood lactate, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation to aerobic exercise among amateur athletes and non-athletes. A total of 24 amateur athletes were been participating in sports competition were selected using purposive sampling. These amateur athletes had been exercising three times a week in the last six months. Also, 24 non-athletes who consented to participate in the study were enlisted, the non-athletes had not engaged in any exercise in the last six months. The subjects were assigned into two equal groups; the amateur athlete group (A) and the non-athlete group (B).The variables of interest were blood lactate, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation. The mean blood lactate response values for group A were: at rest (2.47 ± 1.83), mean exercise phase (4.48 ± 1.10), on exertion (3.73 ± 2.30) and five minutes rest post exercise (2.45 ± 0.95) and for group B: at rest (1.71 ± 0.72, mean exercise phase (5.84 ± 2.81), on exertion (5.03 ± 2.04), and five minutes rest post exercise (3.90 ± 1.18. There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean blood lactate response between group A and group B. The mean blood oxygen saturation for group A were: at rest (98.6 ± 0.50), mean exercise phase (98.12 ± 0.46), on exertion (98.1 ± 0.58) and five minutes rest post exercise (97.7 ± 1.05) and for group B: at rest (98.4 ± 0.65), mean exercise phase (97.36 ± 1.12), on exertion (98.5 ± 0.52) and five minutes rest post exercise (97.6 ± 1.06). There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean blood oxygen saturation response between group A and group B. The mean blood pressure response values for group A (systolic and diastolic) were: at rest (126 ± 11, 83 ± 11 ), mean exercise phase (175.75 ± 14.51, 84.24 ± 10.05), on exertion (169 ± 20, 78 ± 11) and five minutes rest post exercise (122 ± 28, 78 ± 9) and for group B (systolic and diastolic) are: at rest (118 ± 14, 78 ± 8), mean exercise phase (145.64 ± 14.98, 82.72 ± 13.56), on exertion (141 ± 7, , 77 ± 14) and five minutes post exercise (113 ± 9, 75 ± 18). There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean blood pressure response, blood lactate and blood oxygen saturation between group A and group B. There was significant negative correlation (r =-0.743) between blood lactate and blood oxygen saturation on exertion in the athlete group.