High School

Cellular respiration, carbon dioxide production

Download Student Handout

Cellular respiration is a chemical reaction that occurs in your cells to create energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This ATP can be used to power proteins in your cells and can even be used to power the proteins that help you move.  This activity will address how exercise affects the rate of cellular respiration using three different indicators: breathing rate, heart rate, and carbon dioxide production.

Learning Objectives

Students will know

  • Cellular respiration
  • Circulatory system
  • Respiratory system

Students will understand

  • The effect of exercise on breathing rate, heart rate, and carbon dioxide production.

Students will be able to

  • Measure breathing rate, heart rate, and carbon dioxide production before and after an exercise activity.

How to Run the Experiment

Materials You Will Need

From the Exercise Lab bag

  • pH strips
  • straws

From the Box

From Home

  • Cup
    • Water

Safety Information

Learning Undefeated is dedicated to bringing authentic laboratory science experiences to students, even while they’re learning at home. To maintain regular laboratory protocol, you will find all materials are labeled with a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Safety Diamond. This is used to quickly tell users about the hazards that a material possesses including health, flammability, and instability hazards. Though all of the materials contained in the kit are deemed very safe (a 0 or 1 on each category), we thought providing this information was important for students to see and begin learning about.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are provided as well.  Below you will find the MSDS for the reagents supplied in our Exercise Lab kit.

Material Safety Data Sheets

Below are the links to the Material Safety Data Sheets for each provided reagent.