long term effects of exercise
Assignment 2 The Body’s responses to long term exercise
A response to long term exercise is a change that happens to your body over a long period of time due to exercise. It is also known as chronic exercise. Unlike the short-term effects, these changes do not happen immediately, they take time and effort to achieve. Once these responses take place it will allow an athlete to work at a higher intensity for longer. These changes mainly occur in the heart, lungs and muscles. This table shows the changes that occur in our body after long term exercise.
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Muscular system
Skeletal system
Energy systems
Cardiac hypertrophy
Increased vital capacity
Hypertrophy
Increase in bone strength
Increased muscular stores for ATP and PC
Lower resting heart rate
Increased strength of respiratory muscles
Increase in tendon strength
Increased production of synovial fluid (movement around a joint)
Improved power output
Capillarisation
Increase in oxygen diffusion rate
Increase in muscle strength
Increased thickness of hyaline cartilage
Development of fast and slow twitch muscle fibres
Reduction in resting blood pressure
Increase in minute ventilation
Increased number of mitochondria
Increased stretch of ligaments
Increased aerobic fitness
Increased tolerance to lactic acid
Decreased recovery time
Increase in cardiac output
Increase in stroke volume
Increase in blood volume
The cardiovascular system
As a result of long term exercise, your muscles will begin to hypertrophy which means they get bigger in size due to the tearing of muscle fibres.
Cardiac hypertrophy is an example of this and it is defined as the thickening of the heart muscle which results in a decrease in size of the chamber of the heart, including the left and right ventricles. This means that your heart will be able to pump more oxygenated blood with less strain on the heart, which is more efficient for
A response to long term exercise is a change that happens to your body over a long period of time due to exercise. It is also known as chronic exercise. Unlike the short-term effects, these changes do not happen immediately, they take time and effort to achieve. Once these responses take place it will allow an athlete to work at a higher intensity for longer. These changes mainly occur in the heart, lungs and muscles. This table shows the changes that occur in our body after long term exercise.
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Muscular system
Skeletal system
Energy systems
Cardiac hypertrophy
Increased vital capacity
Hypertrophy
Increase in bone strength
Increased muscular stores for ATP and PC
Lower resting heart rate
Increased strength of respiratory muscles
Increase in tendon strength
Increased production of synovial fluid (movement around a joint)
Improved power output
Capillarisation
Increase in oxygen diffusion rate
Increase in muscle strength
Increased thickness of hyaline cartilage
Development of fast and slow twitch muscle fibres
Reduction in resting blood pressure
Increase in minute ventilation
Increased number of mitochondria
Increased stretch of ligaments
Increased aerobic fitness
Increased tolerance to lactic acid
Decreased recovery time
Increase in cardiac output
Increase in stroke volume
Increase in blood volume
The cardiovascular system
As a result of long term exercise, your muscles will begin to hypertrophy which means they get bigger in size due to the tearing of muscle fibres.
Cardiac hypertrophy is an example of this and it is defined as the thickening of the heart muscle which results in a decrease in size of the chamber of the heart, including the left and right ventricles. This means that your heart will be able to pump more oxygenated blood with less strain on the heart, which is more efficient for