2
The following study does not tell whether basketball is too
strenuous or not, but it does give a relative idea of how tiring the game
may be. On the theory that there is a direct relationship between the
strenuousness of the activity and the time required for the pulse to re~
turn to its normal rate after the activity, tests were run on track men
and basketball players.

Seven 440 yard runners were used to run a 410 yard dash. A pace
Was set so fhat they all ran their 440 in less than one minute. Ten
basketball players were used to play regulation basketball games. In
order to remove the influence of the factors of training, condition and
efficiency in each activity, the best varsity matérial available was used
in each case. A World's record holder in the #40 was used while the
basketball players were the ten best Stanford University varsity players.
They were all college MeN »

For purposes of uniformity, each contestant followed the same
routine before and after his activity. Each athlete was tested a the
same time of day and each ate at the same time before exercising. Before
the activity the contestant was required to lie on a cote Pulse readings
Were taken at intervals of five minutes until two successive readings
were the same. After the activity the athletes went immediately to their
cots to rest until their pulses returned to the resting state, cei same
as before the exercise began. The time elapsed between the finish of the

activity and the recovery of the pulse to its resting state was taken as

 

“Lowsley, 0.8, "The Effects of Various Forms of Exercise on Systolic,
Diastolic and Pulse Pressure and Pulse Rate" American Journal of

Physiology Vol 27 (1911) Page 446