Cardiorespiratory Adaptations to

Training
 Cardiovascular Adaptations
From Aerobic Training
◆ Increased cardiorespiratory endurance
◆ Increased muscular endurance
◆ Decreased VO2 at rest and submaximal exercise
◆ IncreasedVO2 Max
◆ Increased heart weight, volume, and chamber size
◆ Increased left ventricle wall thickness “athletes heart”
◆ Increased left ventricle EDV
◆ Increased blood plasma
◆ Increased Stroke Volume (fig. 10.3)
◆ from increased EDV and decreased ESV = increased EF
◆ Frank-Starling law: elastic recoil of the ventricle
 Cardiovascular Adaptations
From Aerobic Training
◆ Decreased resting heart rate
◆ from increased parasympathetic activity and decreased
sympathetic activity.
◆ Decreased submaximal heart rate
◆ Decreased maximum heart rate of elite athletes
◆ if your heart rate is too fast the period of ventricular filling is
reduced and your stroke volume might be compromised.
◆ the heart expends less energy by contracting less often but
more forcibly than it would by contracting more often.
◆ Decreased Heart Rate Recovery (fig. 10.5)
 Cardiovascular Adaptations
From Aerobic Training
◆ Maintained cardiac output at rest and submaximal
exercise
◆ Increased cardiac output during maximal exercise
◆ Increased blood flow to the muscles
◆ increased capillarization of trained muscles
◆ greater opening of existing capillaries in trained muscles
◆ more effective blood redistribution
◆ increased blood volume
◆ decreased blood viscosity & increased oxygen delivery
◆ Decreased resting blood pressure, but is unchanged
during exercise
◆ from increased blood flow
 Cardiovascular Adaptations
From Aerobic Training
◆ Increased blood volume (blood plasma) and is greater
with more intense levels of training
◆ increased release of antidiuretic hormone
◆ increased plasma proteins which help retain blood fluid
◆ increased red blood cell volume
◆ decreased blood viscosity
 Respiratory Adaptations From
Aerobic Training
◆ Respiratory system functioning usually does not limit
performance because ventilation can be increased to
a greater extent than cardiovascular function.
◆ Slight increase in Total lung Capacity
◆ Slight decrease in Residual Lung Volume
◆ Increased Tidal Volume at maximal exercise levels
◆ Decreased respiratory rate and pulmonary
ventilation at rest and at submaximal exercise
◆ (RR) decreases because of greater pulmonary efficiency
◆ Increased respiratory rate and pulmonary ventilation
at maximal exercise levels
◆ from increased tidal volume
 Respiratory Adaptations From
Aerobic Training
◆ Unchanged pulmonary diffusion
at rest and submaximal exercise.
◆ Increased pulmonary diffusion
during maximal exercise.
◆ from increased circulation and
increased ventilation
◆ from more alveoli involved during
maximal exercise
◆ Increased A-VO2 difference
especially at maximal exercise.
 Metabolic Adaptations From
Aerobic Training
◆ Lactate threshold occurs at a higher percentage of
VO2 Max.
◆ from a greater ability to clear lactate from the muscles
◆ from an increase in skeletal muscle enzymes
◆ Decreased Respiratory Exchange Ratio (ratio of
carbon dioxide released to oxygen consumed)
◆ from a higher utilization of fatty acids instead of carbo’s
◆ however, the RER increases from the ability to perform at
maximum levels of exercise for longer periods of time
because of high lactate tolerance.
◆ Increased resting metabolic rate
◆ Decreased VO2 during submaximal exercise
◆ from a metabolic efficiency and mechanical efficiency
 Metabolic Adaptations From
Aerobic Training
◆ Large increases in VO2 Max
◆ in mature athletes, the highest attainable VO2 Max is
reached within 8 to 18 months of heavy endurance
training.
◆ VO2 Max is influenced by “training” in early
childhood.
◆ from increased oxidative enzymes

◆ from increased size and number of mitochondria

◆ from increased blood volume, cardiac output & O2

diffusion
◆ from increased capillary density
 Cardiorespiratory
Adaptations From Anaerobic
◆
Training
Small increase in cardiorespiratory endurance
◆ Small increase in VO2 Max
◆ Small increases in Stroke Volume
 Cardiorespiratory
Adaptations From Resistance
Training
◆ Small increase in left ventricle size
◆ Decreased resting heart rate
◆ Decreased submaximal heart rate
◆ Decreased resting blood pressure is greater than from
endurance training
◆ Resistance training has a positive effect on aerobic
endurance but aerobic endurance has a negative
effect on strength, speed and power.
◆ muscular strength is decreased
◆ reaction and movement times are decreased
◆ agility and neuromuscular coordination are decreased
◆ concentration and alterness are decreased
 Factors Affecting the
Adaptation to Aerobic
Training
◆ Heredity accounts for between 25% and 50% of the
variance in VO2 Max values.
◆ Age-Related decreases in VO2 Max might partly
result from an age-related decrease in activity levels.
◆ Gender plays a small role (10% difference) in the VO2
Max values of male and female endurance athletes.
◆ There will be RESPONDERS (large improvement)
and NONRESPONDERS (little improvement) among
groups of people who experience identical training.
◆ The greater the Specificity of Training for a given
sport or activity, the greater the improvement in
performance.
 Applications to Exercise
◆ Breathe Right nasal strips
◆ “head up” during recovery
◆ O2 on the sidelines
◆ active recovery
◆ stretching before and after
intense exercise
◆ smokers beware
◆ stitch in the side
◆ second wind
◆ resist the valsalva
◆ exercise increases the quality
of life more than the
quantity of life