Effect of physical exercise training on the cardio-pulmonary functions of students of the College of Medicine

ABSTRACT

65 first year medical students, 42 males and 23 females, were selected randomly to study the significance of the physical exercise training course recently introduced in the curriculum of the college. Changes in the cardiopulmonary functions were taken as 'an index for assessing the effect of the training course on the state of the physical fitness of the students. Results obtained showed that, inspite of the limited time allocated for the course, a significant decrease in the heart rate and systolic blood pressure was observed at the end of the training course following 19 a 15 minute exercise on a bicycle ergometer with a fixed load as compared with those recorded before beginning of the course. A slight increase in the pulmonary vital capacity and peak flow rate was also noticed. The mechanisms and Significance of the these changes, and the importance of having a carefully planned programme for training were discussed