Long-term effects of exercise musculoskeletal system & cardio-respiratory system

Regular aerobic and anaerobic exercise has significate positive long term effects on your muscular-skeletal system and your cardio respiratory system. The adaptations that take place as a result of regular exercise ensure you can work for longer and at a higher intensity. An adaptation is a positive physical change that will help in developing your performance.

Key Terms Musculo-skeletal system Cardio-respiratory System The name given to the combined body system that involves your muscles and your skeleton Cardio-respiratory System The name given to the combined body system that involves your cardiovascular system and your respiratory system.

The long term effects of exercise on the muscular skeletal system There are three adaptations to the musculo-skeletal system that take places as a result of regular exercise. Increase bone density Increase strengths of ligaments and tendons Muscle Hypertrophy

The long term effects of exercise on the muscular skeletal system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Increase bone density The bones are put under stress during exercise and they adapt by becoming thicker and heavier (more dense) to prevent fractures occurring. Gymnasts need strong bones because they tend to fall a lot when learning new skills. If they had weak bones, they would suffer from a lot of fractures.

The long term effects of exercise on the muscular skeletal system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Increase strengths of ligaments and tendons Ligaments and tendons are stretched during exercise and they adapt by becoming thicker and stronger to prevent them from tearing. A basketball player needs strong tendons and ligaments because they need to change direction quickly and jump, which puts a lot of pressure on the tendons and ligaments in the knees and ankles.

The long term effects of exercise on the muscular skeletal system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Muscle Hypertrophy When a muscle is trained, small tears are created. As they heal, they develop and become thicker. This process is called hypertrophy, and it means that muscles adapt to exercise by increasing in size and producing greater strength. A rower needs large muscles that produce high levels of strength in their upper and lower body to be able to overcome resistance provided by water.

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system There are five adaptations to the cardio-respiratory system that take places as a result of regular aerobic & anaerobic exercise. Cardiac Hypertrophy Increase in the elasticity of the muscular walls of the arteries and veins Increase in the number of red blood cells Capilliarisation and an increase in the number of alveoli Increased strength of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles leads to an increase in tidal volume and vital capacity

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Cardiac Hypertrophy When you exercise regularly your heart, just like your voluntary muscles, increases in size and becomes stronger. Cardiac hypertrophy has an impact on the values in the cardiac equation: The cardiac equation: Stroke volume (SV) X heart rate (HR) = cardiac output (Q) When your heart is stronger, it is able to pump out more blood per beat, even when you are resting. This means it does not have to work as hard and your Resting Heart Rate lowers. Because your resting stroke volume increase, your maximum cardiac output also increases. Your heart is able to deliver more blood, and therefore more oxygen, to your working muscles and remove more carbon dioxide and other waste products, such as lactic acid.

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Increase in the elasticity of the muscular walls of the arteries and veins The more elastic the muscular walls of the veins and arteries, the more they can dilate and constrict. Oxygen is delivered to the working muscles faster and your resting blood pressure drops.

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Increase in the number of red blood cells Red blood cells carry oxygen to working muscles. The more ref blood cells a performer has, the more oxygen can be carried to their working muscles.

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Capilliarisation and an increase in the number of alveoli Capilliarisaion results in an increase in the number of capillaries wrapping around the alveoli. The number of alveoli also increase in the lungs. More capillaries and alveoli mean that a greater level of gaseous exchange can take place. A performer is, therefore, able to deliver more oxygen to their working muscles and remove waster products more quickly. Consequently, they can work aerobically for longer

The long term effects of exercise on the cardio-respiratory system Adaptation Description of adaptation Examples of benefits for performance Increased strength of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles leads to an increase in tidal volume and vital capacity An increase in the strength of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles has an impact on the respiratory equation: The respiratory equation: Tidal Volume (TV) X Frequency (F) = Minute Ventilation (VE) When your diaphragm and intercostal muscles are stronger, you can breathe more deeply. This increase your tidal volume; the amount of air you can inhale and exhale with each breath. It also increases your vital capacity; the maximum amount of air exhaled following a maximum inhalation. As a consequence, more oxygen can be brought into the body and delivered to working muscles.