Chapter 15: Chronic Adaptations

Question 1

Chronic Adaptations:

Answer 1

long term physiological changes that occur as a result of training

• Results in improved performances and is specific to the type of training

Question 2

Types of Chronic Adaptations:

Answer 2

• Structural Change: a change to the structure of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles

    - Functional Change: a change to how the heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles work.

Question 3

Structural Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Increased Lung Volume:

Answer 3

results in the increase of the amount of air in the lungs at the end of maximal inspiration meaning the athlete is able to intake more air and have greater volumes of oxygen available.

Question 4

Structural Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Increased Alveolar-Capillary Surface Area

Answer 4

an increased volume of the lungs leads to increased surface area between the alveoli sacs and blood vessels which results in increased sites available for pulmonary diffusion

Question 5

Functional Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Vital Capacity

Answer 5

the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation

• At all intensities it is increased in a trained person compared to an untrained person

Question 6

Functional Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Tidal Volume:

Answer 6

the total amount of air breathed in per breath

- At rest it remains the same regardless of fitness levels
- At Sub max and max Intensity it increases in a trained person compared to an untrained person

Question 7

Functional Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Ventilation:

Answer 7

the total amount of air breathed in per breaths in a minute(V=RR x TV)

- At rest and sub-max it decreases due to increased efficiencies of pulmonary diffusion and due to TV bringing in more air

- At Max intensity, increases in a trained individual as their TV can already bring in more air than an untrained individual and their RR will keep linearly increasing alongside exercise intensity

Question 8

Functional Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Pulmonary Diffusion:

Answer 8

the gaseous exchange of O2 from the alveoli into the capillaries to enter the blood stream and CO2 from the capillaries into the alveoli to be exhaled out

- Increases at all intensities as a result of increased lung volume and increase alveolar-capillary surface area

Question 9

Functional Respiratory Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Oxygen Consumption(VO2):

Answer 9

the volume of oxygen taken up and utilized by the body (ml/min/kg)

- At rest and Sub max intensity, generally either is the same or slightly decreased in an trained individual compared to an untrained individual due to increased ventilation and cardiac output

- At Max intensity, significantly increases in a trained individual compared to an untrained individual

Question 10

Structural Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Cardiac Hypertrophy

Answer 10

the increase in the size and volume of the left ventricle and a slight thickening of the ventricle walls

- Increased size and volume of left ventricle in a trained individual increases Stroke Volume 

    - Increased Ventricle walls increases in a trained individual allowing better O2 delivery

Question 11

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Increased Capillarisation of Heart Muscles:

Answer 11

the improved ability for blood to flow to the heart itself

• Increased ability in a trained individual compared to an untrained individual

Question 12

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Heart Rate

Answer 12

the amount of times the beat beats per minute

• At rest and submax, decreases in a trained individual as they will have a large SV, and to make sure their Cardiac Output does not increase at rest, their HR must decrease
• At max intensity it is reduced in a trained athlete compared to a untrained athlete at the same intensity

Question 13

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Stroke Volume:

Answer 13

the volume of blood ejected from the left ventricle at each heart beat

- Increases at all intensities in a trained individual compared to an untrained individual

Question 14

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Cardiac Output:

Answer 14

the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute (Q = SV x HR)

- At rest and submax, unchanged or slight decrease in a trained individual

• At Max intensity, increased in a trained individual compared to an untrained as the SV is larger and with HR increasing linearly alongside intensity, more blood can be pumped by the heart

Question 15

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Plasma and Haemoglobin:

Answer 15

the total blood volume and RBC count which helps the O2 carrying capacity

• Increased Plasma and Haemoglobin levels as a result of aerobic training in trained athletes

Question 16

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: AVO2 Difference:

Answer 16

the difference in oxygen content between arterioles and the venuoles which represents the amount of oxygen used up by the muscles/tissues

• at rest, AVO2 Diff remains the same as oxygen demands are the same
• at submax and max intensity, Increased AVO2 diff as a result of greater extraction of O2 by working muscles

Question 17

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: Lactate production:

Answer 17

the production of metabolic by products as a result of reliance on the anaerobic glycolysis energy system

- As a result of prolonged aerobic training, blood lactate production will decrease due to increased ability to rely on the aerobic energy system at higher intensities, decreasing the reliance on the anaerobic glycolysis system

- Trained athletes also have an increased ability to remove lactate from the blood due to an increased availability of oxygen compared to untrained individuals

Question 18

Functional Cardiovascular Chronic Adaptations due to Aerobic Training: LIP:

Answer 18

the highest exercise intensity point where lactate entry into and removal from the blood are balanced

• Aerobic training at LIP will result in an increased LIP meaning the aerobic system can be relied on at higher intensities, delaying the production of lactate

Question 19

Structural Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Left Ventricle:

Answer 19

Increased thickness of the left ventricular wall increases stroke volume and force of the left ventricle contraction

- Increased left ventricle size in trained athlete

• Increased force of left ventricle contraction and a slight increase in stroke volume in trained athletes

Question 20

Structural Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Muscle Hypertrophy:

Answer 20

• Increases in trained athletes during resistance training

Increase in cross sectional area is due to:
- Increased number of myofibrils
- Increased size of myofibrils
- Increased Contractile Proteins(actin and myosin)
- Increased Size and Strength of Connective Tissue

Question 21

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Muscle ATP and PC stores:

Answer 21

• Up to a 25% increase in the ATP and PC stores in trained athletes

Question 22

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: ATPase Enzymes:

Answer 22

• Increased ATPase enzyme production in trained athletes which increases the rate of ATP production

Question 23

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Glycogen Stores:

Answer 23

• Increases in trained athletes which increases the capacity of Anaerobic Glycolysis ES

Question 24

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Glycolytic Enzyme Stores and Activity:

Answer 24

• Increases in trained athletes which increases the rate of ATP production anaerobically

Question 25

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Lactate Tolerance:

Answer 25

the ability to continually contract the muscles and exercise under the build up of metabolic by products

• Increases in trained athletes

Question 26

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Muscle Fibres:

Answer 26

• Increase in size of Fast Twitch B fibres in trained athletes
• As fibres get bigger, they can store more fuels improving anaerobic energy production

Question 27

Functional Muscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Substrate Stores:

Answer 27

• Increases the stores of ATP, Phosphocreatine and glycogen in trained athletes

Question 28

Functional Neuromuscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Motor Unit Recruitment:

Answer 28

Increases motor unit recruitment in trained athletes

Question 29

Functional Neuromuscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Motor Unit Activation Rate:

Answer 29

• Increased motor unit activation rate in trained athletes

Question 30

Functional Neuromuscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Force of Contraction:

Answer 30

Increased force of contractions in trained athletes

Question 31

Functional Neuromuscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Force Development Rate(power):

Answer 31

Increased force development rate in trained athletes

Question 32

Functional Neuromuscular Chronic Adaptations due to Anaerobic Training: Recruitment of Fast Twitch Fibres:

Answer 32

Increased recruitment of fast twitch fibres in trained athletes