Responses & Adaptations to Exercise

Question 1

what are the five cardiovascular responses to exercise

Answer 1

• anticipatory increase in heart rate (heart rate increases prior, adrenaline)
• increased heart rate
• increased cardiac output
• increased blood pressure (pressure of blood against walls of blood vessels)
• redirection of blood flow (blood flows to essential body parts)

Question 2

what are the seven cardiovascular adaptations to exercise

Answer 2

• cardiac hypertrophy (increase in size of the sarcomere of the muscle fibres)
• increase in stroke volume (amount of blood pumped out in one contraction)
• decrease in resting heart rate (as heart is stronger)
• capillarisation of skeletal muscle & alveoli (more capillaries surround them)
• reduction in resting blood pressure
• decreased heart rate recovery time
• increase in blood volume (amount of blood circulating the body)