Cardiovascular system 2

Cardiovascular responses to exercise

 Blood supply during rest and exercise

• Blood pressure must be maintained at the correct level so that there is sufficient blood flow around the
body. Coordinated relaxation and constriction of some blood vessels maintains pressure, but also
redistributes blood flow to the active muscles during exercise.

• Cardiac output provides the most important indicator of the circulatory system’s functional
capacity to meet the demands for physical activity. As with any pump, the rate of pumping
(heart rate) and quantity of blood ejected with every stroke (stroke volume)

• Cardiac output (L./min-1) = (heart rate x stroke volume) ÷ 1000

• Cardiac output increases in proportion to the intensity of the exercise up to a maximum attainable value.
Increased cardiac output is a product of increased stroke volume (more venous back flow to heart and
increased contraction strength) and increased heart rate.

Stroke volume and heart rate increase during exercise

 Cardiac output in different populations
Resting CO HR Stroke
• With the ventilatory system
(L/min) (b.) V. (ml.)
providing sufficient gas exchange
Male 5.6 70 72
in healthy individuals, the
cardiovascular system is crucial Female 4.1 76 55

to maintain function and to Adult 5.3 73 73

maintain homeostasis during Child 4.8 85 56
exercise, or to meet the demands
Trained 5.0 42 120
for physical activity.
Untrained 4.9 64 76
• Factors such as gender, age and
Cardiac Output (CO) during rest
fitness status influence the total
cardiac output during rest and
exercise.
 Cardiac output in different populations
Differences in stroke volume between men and
women (with similar training) are mostly due to
smaller body size. Stroke volume for women
usually averages 25% below men’s values. Exercise HR Stroke
CO (b.) V. (ml)
The difference in size and age influences the (L./min)
cardiac output of a child compared to an adult.
A child has a 20% smaller stroke volume but a
higher Maximum HR. Male 39.0 195 200
Female 31.2 195 160
The difference in cardiac output between
trained and untrained individuals relies solely Adult 35.1 195 180
on the stroke volume. Two factors probably
interact as aerobic fitness improves Child 30.0 208 144
- Increased vagal tone slows the heart,
allowing more time for ventricular filling ( Trained 34.9 195 179
Vagal tone)
- Enlarged ventricular volume and a more Untrained 22.0 195 113
powerful myocardium eject a larger volume
of blood with each systole
• Average adult cardiac
output: ± 5 L. (5000ml)

• Average adult
 Systolic and diastolic pressure during exercise
Systolic pressure the force exerted by blood on
arterial walls during ventricular contraction.
In resting healthy adult the pressure is 120mmHg, this is
the ideal balance for emptying and filling the heart
chambers
• During exercise the blood pressure changes and is
dependent upon intensity and type of exercise
• During high intensity isometric and anaerobic
exercise, both systolic and diastolic pressure rise
significantly due to increased resistance of the
blood vessels. This is a result of muscles squeezing
veins, increasing peripheral resistance and an
increase in intra-thoracic pressure due to the
contracting of the abdomen.
Diastolic pressure the force exerted by blood on the
arterial walls during ventricular relaxation.
• In resting adult the pressure is 80 mmHg. The
pressure lessens as the blood goes from arteries to
arterioles to capillaries. The pressure in the venules
and veins is low and consistent.
• During steady aerobic exercise involving large
muscle groups, the systolic pressure increases as a
result of an increased cardiac output, while the
diastolic pressure remains constant (or in well
trained athletes may even drop)
• High blood pressure can cause serious
complications to the heart, brain and kidneys,
whereas low pressure can result in insufficient
oxygen and other nutrients reaching the muscle
cells.
• The blood pressure is regulated by the vasomotor
control center. The redistribution is controlled
primarily by vasoconstriction and vasodilatation
VO2Max, Fick equation
[VO2(mL/min-1) / a-vO2(ml/dl blood-1)] x 100
The most commonly used
marker of an individual’s
aerobic fitness is the
relationship between
cardiac output, oxygen
uptake, and difference
between the oxygen
content of arterial and
mixed-venous blood (a-vO2
difference). This principle
was discovered by German
physiologist Adolf Fick in
1870
Cardiac output (mL./min-1) =
Stroke volume = 71 ml/b
HR = 70 b
Cardiac Output = 5000 ml
aVO2 rest = 20ml/dl
mixed venous vO2 rest = 12-15 ml/dl
mixed vO2 max = 2 – 4 ml/dl
a-vO2 diff. at rest = 5 ml/dl
=> 75% O2 is “unused” bound to Hb
In reality, this method is rarely used due to the
difficulty of collecting and analyzing the gas
concentrations. However, by using an assumed
value for oxygen consumption, cardiac output
can be closely approximated without the
cumbersome and time-consuming oxygen
consumption measurement
 VO2
Maximal aerobic and anaerobic capacities
• Oxygen consumption (uptake) is the amount of
oxygen a person consumes per unit of time (usually
a minute).
• The oxidation (burning) of fuel foods requires a
definite amount of oxygen per unit mass of fuel.
This amount can be measured indirectly by
collecting expired air and comparing it with the
composition of inspired air (how much oxygen has
been used and CO2 produced).
• At rest the oxygen uptake varies between 0.2 and
0.3 L./min-1
• (Based on that 1 L. of oxygen liberates 22kJ of
energy from glycogen, the BMR (basal metabolic
rate) converts to between 4.4 and 6.6 kJ. For a 60kg
person the BMR would be between 0.073 and 0.110
kJ per minute per kg of body mass.)
• During exercise the total body oxygen uptake
increases proportionally to the intensity of the
exercise, until a maximal work rate is reached.
• Highest VO2 achieved is VO2max, this maximum
oxygen uptake is known also as aerobic power
• VO2max can therefore be quantitatively
represented as the maximum amount of oxygen
that a person can consume per minute during a
progressive exercise test to exhaustion. The highest
value represents the individual’s maximal
physiological capacity to transport and use oxygen
• A mean value of VO2max for male students is
±3.5L/min and females ±2.7L./min
• Endurance athletes may reach between 4 and
6L./min
VO2max depends on body mass as well as physical
fitness, so often expressed in milliliters per
kilogram of body mass per minute (mL kg-1 min-1)
so that comparisons can be made
 Factors affecting maximum aerobic power
• Chemical ability of the muscular tissues to
use oxygen in breaking down fuels
• Combined ability of the cardiovascular and
the pulmonary systems to transport oxygen
to the muscular system
 VO2max decreases by about 10% per
decade with ageing, starting in the late
teens for women and mid-20’s for men.
Oxygen consumption as an indirect way of
measuring energy costs: a hypothetical example
Net oxygen cost (oxygen consumed during exercise above which
is needed during rest)
0.3 L/min at rest
2.275 L/min (65% of VO2max in males @
3.5L/min)
20 min Jog x net oxygen cost = total net
oxygen cost
20 x 1.975 = 39.5 L.
1 liter of oxygen produces 22kJ of heat energy
in combination with food fuel:
22 x 39.5 = 869 kJ
 Exercising in a hot environment
Cardiovascular drift
When exercising in a warm or neutral
environment for 15 min or more your HR
increases.
This increase in HR is to compensate for
the decrease in pulmonary arterial
pressure and reduced stroke volume. To
maintain cardiac output at reduced
pressure the heart rate must be
increased.
Under these circumstances, a person
usually must exercise at a lower intensity
than if cardiovascular drift did not occur.
 Cardiovascular drift
Prevention / minimization

• The drop in venous return is a result of • Consistently replace fluids and

the muscles demand for more blood, electrolyte imbalance
however, in warm environments the • Acclimatize to environment
• Weight training to supplement
blood is also shunted to the skin for cardiovascular efforts
themoregulation (cooling) causing a
shift in fluids to skin tissue.
• The redistribution of blood plasma
and water loss through sweating
causes a reduced pulmonary arterial
pressure and decreased stroke volume