Materials:
Procedure:
- Blood Pressure Monitor
- fl oz Measuring Cup
- Timer
- Mountain Dew Voltage
- Arizona Green Tea
- Starbucks Double Shot
- Monster Low-Carb Energy Drink
Procedure:
- Set the timer for one minute. During this minute, sit still and quietly. This will allow your blood pressure to return to its normal pressure (talking and laughing and moving around can increase blood pressure and heart rate) . Use the blood pressure monitor to take the starting or normal blood pressure. Make sure the cuff is on tightly and when inflating, watch the gauge and inflate to 180. When it reaches 180, stop inflating and wait for the reading to show. RECORD the blood pressure and heart rate in the data table.
- Measure out the correct Mountain Dew Voltage serving size as indicated on the bottle. Pour this into a cup and drink the entire serving size within 10 minutes. Set a timer for 25 minutes (caffeine takes about this long to fully absorb in the body). During the 25 minute waiting period, remain sitting with limited talking and movement (this ensures that any change in heart rate and blood pressure is because of caffeine, not because of moving too much).
- After the 25 minutes are over, take blood pressure and heart rate. Again make sure the cuff is on tightly and inflate to 180. RECORD the heart rate and blood pressure in the data table.
- Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the caffeinated drinks. Only one test is to be done per day because it takes caffeine up to 8 hours to fully leave the body. After each of the caffeinated drinks has been tested, test the control. This is the test where no caffeine is consumed and heart rate and blood pressure are recorded as above (initial and after 25 minutes).