Cardiovascular response to exercise and adaptations that occur from prolonged training

Question 1

neural regulation of heart rate

Answer 1

• aortic and carotid mechanoreceptors
• cardiac mechanoreceptors
• skeletal muscle mechanoreceptors and metaboreceptors
• all funnel into the cardiovascular center which increases HR during exercise
• if nothing but SA node controlled HR, it would be 100bpm

Question 2

pre-exercise neural regulation of heart rate

Answer 2

activator: central command from motor cortex and higher brain centers in the brain cause an increase in sympathetic outflow and decrease in parasympathetic activity
response: acceleration of HR: increased myocardial contractility

Question 3

exercise neural regulation of heart rate

Answer 3

activator: progressive sympathetic stimulation with increases in exercise intensity; reflex feedback from peripheral mechanisms
response: continued rise in HR to meet the demands of activity, eventually rise in HR