In this assignment I will explain and analyse the initial responses to exercise. It will include how the cardiovascular responses, respiratory responses, neuromuscular responses and the energy systems.

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Responses to Exercise

    In this assignment I will explain and analyse the initial responses to exercise. It will include how the cardiovascular responses, respiratory responses, neuromuscular responses and the energy systems that are affected.

     First of all, there are many responses that occur in the cardiovascular system that make changes within the first two minutes of exercise. One of these is heart rate. The heart rate increases by pumping more blood around the body. Normally, the cardiac muscles of the heart walls will contract around 60-80 times a minute. However, when exercise is started, the body realises that more oxygen is needed for the muscles to work at their full potential. Therefore, the heart pumps more blood carrying much needed oxygen to the working muscles. Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped out of one ventricle of the heart each beat. With aerobic exercise training, it is possible to increase stroke volume, meaning that more blood will be pumped out of the heart with each beat, resulting in a more efficient heart and more oxygen being delivered to the muscles. Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart in one minute. This is therefore automatically increased when heart rate increases so that more oxygen rich blood can reach the muscles. The fitter a person is, the larger your stroke volume and cardiac output are. Blood pressure is controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. When the body realises it is being exercised in the first few minutes, more blood is forced through the arteries and the shape of these arteries changes. This is done by involuntary smooth muscles in the arterioles contracting too change the diameter. The onset of exercise has the effect of increasing the blood pressure because if heart rate and cardiac output are increased, blood pressure will automatically increase.

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     There are also changes in the respiratory response during the first few minutes of exercise. The respiratory system is responsible for getting oxygen into the body and getting carbon dioxide out of the body. Firstly, there is an increase in breathing rate. This increase in breathing rate means that there is more oxygen inhaled into the body so that the body can keep on going without fatiguing if the exercise goes on for longer than the first two minutes. Because when you start to exercise, you need to take in more oxygen for it to be used ...

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