Physiology Lab Report
The Effects of Exercise on the Cardiovascular System
Introduction
Exercise has a major impact on the cardiovascular system and its efficiency in the human body. There are many concepts which need to be examined to understand exercise and the cardiovascular system, such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, and physiological pathways. According to the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, exercise provides a change in the effectiveness of the cardiovascular system, whether over a short or long period of time (Lamotte et al. 2009). Systolic blood pressure is maximal arterial pressure during peak ventricular ejection, while diastolic pressure is minimal arterial pressure that takes place just before ventricular ejection (Widimaer et al. 2008). Cardiac output is defined as the volume of blood pumped by each ventricle per minute (Widimaer et al. 2008). Cardiac Output can be calculated using the formula: CO=HRxSV, where CO is the cardiac output, HR is the heart rate, and SV is the stroke volume (Widimaer et al. 2008). Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction (Widimaer et al. 2008). Total peripheral resistance is the sum of the resistance to flow by all the systemic blood vessels (Widimaer et al. 2008). Total peripheral resistance (TPR) is the resistance to blood flow because of friction between blood and vessel walls. TPR and blood pressure are directly proportional in that when TPR increases, blood pressure also increases (Widimaer et al. 2008). Cardiac output is also directly proportional to blood pressure. Cardiac output and total peripheral resistance pair to create blood pressure in that the amount blood flowing through a vessel and the resistance to the blood from the vessel walls create blood pressure. Hormonal and neural pathways also control blood pressure in that they bind to
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