Physiological Effects of Lavender Essential Oil After Moderately Intense Physical Activity
File(s)
Date
2018Author
Hjortnaes, Maren
Roggenbuck, Joni
Robertson, Jalin
Schmidt, Natalie
Publisher
Journal of Advanced Student Sciences (JASS)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
For this study, the effects of lavender essential oil on the rate of relaxation after physical
stress were investigated. While previous studies have been performed relating lavender aroma to
decreased psychological stress, little data exists on the effect of lavender aroma on physical
stress. Physical and mental stress share many of the same physiological effects including
increases heart rate, respiration rate, and galvanic skin conductance. Due to these similarities it is
probable that physical stress will reduce these values by comparable amounts to mental stress
when lavender aroma is administered during recovery time. It was hypothesized that exposing
subjects to lavender essential oil after moderate physical activity would decrease the recovery
time for heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance to return to baseline, compared to
control subjects not treated with lavender aroma. To test this hypothesis, the average recovery
time and percent change of physiological vitals, including heart rate, respiration rate, and
galvanic skin conductance between treatment groups were compared. From the results, no
significant data was observed, therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of lavender does
not have any appreciable effect on lowering heart rate, respiration rate and skin conductance
after moderately intense physical activity, which the study used as indicators of physical stress.
Subject
Aromatherapy
essential oil
exercise
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)
Heart Rate
lavendar
physical stress
psychological stress
recovery time
relaxation time
respiration
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/81964Description
An article that appeared in JASS, issue 2018