C5 - Responses of the respiratory system on exercise

Question 1

What are the two types of response?

Answer 1

Acute = immediate
Chronic = relatively quickly

Question 2

What are the two acute responses of the respiratory system on exercise?

Answer 2

• Increased breathing rate
• Increased tidal volume

Question 3

Increased breathing rate is …

Answer 3

• Short-term
• Exercise requires deeper breathing due to the high demand for oxygen at the working muscles
• Capillary network in and around the alveoli vasodilates increasing blood flow to the lungs as well as the working muscles
• Maximal exercise = increased breathing rate
• Constant exercise = plateau in rate and depth of breathing
• After exercise = reduced breathing rate sharply to normal levels

Question 4

What increases immediately when exercising?

Answer 4

• ‘anticipatory rate’
• Before starting exercise that leads to slight increase in breathing rate

Question 5

Increased tidal volume is …

Answer 5

• Short-term
• During exercise = increased to allow more air to pass into and out of the lungs
• Oxygen is depleted from the body during exercise, triggering an increase in tidal volume
• Intense exercise = oxygen diffusion/ gaseous exchange can increase by 3 or 4 times

Question 6

What are the three long-term effects of exercise on the respiratory system?

Answer 6

• Increased vital capacity
• Increased strength of respiratory muscles
• Increased diffusion rate

Question 7

Increased vital capacity is …

Answer 7

• Increases as a result of long-term physical training to provide and increase more efficient supply to oxygen to working muscles

Question 8

Increased strength of respiratory muscles is …

Answer 8

• diaphragm and intercostal muscles increase in strength, allowing for greater expansion of the chest cavity
• making it easier to take deep breaths as the stronger more pliable muscles allow the chest to expand to a larger size

Question 9

Increased diffusion rate is …

Answer 9

• respiratory systems adapts to regular training, allowing oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse more rapidly
• increased in size and number of capillaries in and around the alveoli
• more oxygen can diffused and at a quicker rate
• increase in diffusion rates within tissues means that you can train longer and harder
• This is because your muscles will be supplied with more oxygen and the increased carbon dioxide will be removed more quickly