Heart and lung adaptations to training

Overview

Cardiac hypertrophy after endurance and strength training, stroke volume and resting heart rate, maximal cardiac output, capillary density, blood volume, blood pressure, respiratory muscles, lung volumes, VO₂ max and the a-vO₂ difference.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Define cardiac hypertrophy.

   Model answer

   Cardiac hypertrophy is the enlargement and thickening of the heart muscle in response to training. The left ventricle shows the greatest change.

2. 2

   Explain how endurance training changes stroke volume.

   Model answer

   Endurance training raises stroke volume at rest and in exercise. A larger, stronger left ventricle fills with more blood and contracts more forcefully.

3. 3

   Compare the effects of endurance training and strength training on the heart.

   Model answer

   Endurance training mainly enlarges the chamber of the left ventricle. Strength training mainly thickens the wall of the left ventricle.

4. 4

   How does endurance training change resting heart rate?

   Model answer

   The heart rate at rest falls, often below 60 bpm in well-trained endurance athletes. The bigger stroke volume meets resting demand with fewer beats.

5. 5

   How does heart rate at a set submaximal workload change after a training programme?

   Model answer

   Heart rate at the same submaximal workload is lower after training. The heart also returns to its resting rate more quickly afterwards.

6. 6

   What happens to maximum heart rate and maximum cardiac output with endurance training?

   Model answer

   Maximum heart rate stays the same, because it depends on age. Maximum cardiac output rises, because stroke volume at maximal effort is larger.

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