Exercise Blood Flow Dynamics and Cardiovascular Adaptations Quiz

Exercise Blood Flow Dynamics and Cardiovascular Adaptations

• Dynamic exercise involves muscle contraction and relaxation cycles, causing a 25% occlusion of blood vessels during contraction, leading to a significant increase in blood flow when the muscles relax.
• Dynamic (aerobic) exercise results in a greater increase in heart rate (HR) and volume load, while static exercise leads to a higher pressure load due to blood vessel occlusion during contraction.
• Females have higher cardiac output (Q) and HR, but lower stroke volume (SV) at the same absolute work rate, while males have higher red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (Hb).
• Children have smaller Q and SV, and higher HR compared to older individuals at the same absolute HR, with resting and exercise blood pressure being higher in the elderly.
• Endurance training leads to increases in the size, volume, and mass of the heart, resulting in increased blood-filling capacity and muscle size in both ventricles.
• The left ventricle is larger than the right ventricle because it needs to pump blood throughout the body, while the right ventricle only needs to pump blood to the lungs.
• "Athlete’s heart" refers to the enlargement of the heart due to heavy training, leading to increased dilation of ventricles and atria and thicker chamber walls.
• Cardiac hypertrophy, thickening of chamber walls, occurs in individuals with high blood pressure as the heart adapts to push against the pressure, resulting in a decrease in chamber size.
• Trained athletes have a higher cardiac output at maximum due to a larger stroke volume, allowing for a lower heart rate and a lower workload on the heart.
• Trained athletes exhibit a lower heart rate due to a larger stroke volume, allowing for a lower workload on the heart, while untrained individuals may experience tachycardia (HR above 100 bpm) during exercise.
• Trained individuals have thicker and more elastic arteries, acting as pressure reservoirs, and more compliant veins, acting as volume reservoirs, leading to better vascular function and improved endothelial functioning.
• Aerobic training leads to arterial remodeling, larger lumen, improved responsiveness, and increased ability to dilate and constrict blood vessels, ultimately affecting blood flow and blood pressure regulation.