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LAB
How Does Fatigue Affect Muscle Performance?

Problem
A condition known as muscle fatigue occurs when certain waste products of
muscle activity (lactic acid) build up in the cells. Until these waste chemicals
are removed, the fatigue will continue.

Do the Following Activity:

Hold a spring-type clothespin between your thumb and index finger. Pinch the
ends together completely (until the two ends touch) and release them. Do this
as rapidly as possible for one minute. Record the number of times you could
squeeze the clothespin:

Hypothesis:
In this experiment, I predict that I will be able to squeeze the clothespin near
or above 35 times in one minute. I made this prediction because my fingers get
tired fast.

Dependent Variable: We will measure how many times we can squeeze the
clothespin in a minute
Independent Variable: Gender, boys vs girls results
Control: The fingers and time + dominate hand.

Data/Results:

Trial # # of Squeezes in 1 minute

1 102
2 103
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3 137
4 174
Average 129

Boys (averages) Girls (averages)

140.013 155.3

Conclusion: (Analyze your data and summarize your findings. Sate how the
results relate to the hypothesis.)
In this lab we tested who has better finger muscles, boys or girls. My
hypothesis was, in this experiment, I predict that I will be able to squeeze the
clothespin near or above 35 times in one minute with a clothespin, I was wrong
because I got to the hundreds when I was doing the experiment. In my results
the number of squeezes increased every time. The for girls was more than
boys, I think that is so because girls do more things with their fingers than us
boys do.

Reflection Questions:

1. Could you do as many in a minute the fourth time as you could do the first
time? Provide a biological explanation for these results.
Yes but yet no because I did more the fourth time then the first time.

2. What does an increased pulse rate indicate about the heart rate and flow
of blood in someones body?
It increases as the pulse rate goes up your heart rate goes up.
It decreases as the pulse rate goes down your heart rate goes down.
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3. If you want to increase your clothespin-squeezing rate, would you suggest

exercising or resting before you did it? Explain why you think your choice
is correct.
I think resting before you do it. I think this because if your fingers are rested
then you will not be as tired to do the squeezing.

4. What do you think would happen to the number of squeezes if you were
asked to do a 5th trial for clothespin squeezing?
I think I would get to two hundred squeezes.

5. What effect did muscle fatigue have on the action of your hand muscles?
It hurted them and made them really sore.