Exam I Review – Spring 2019

Introduction to Exercise Physiology

 Describe the term NEAT and how it, and movement, are important to improving overall health and
weight loss.
Non
Exercise
Activity
Thermogenesis
- Energy expended for everything we do including: sleeping eating and physical
activity.
- Complements exercise and physical activity
- Can reduce premature morbidity and mortality

Problem areas- SLOTH: Sleep, Leisure, Occupation, Transportation, Household

Homeostatic Control – Neural Effects

 Explain neural involvement in performing static stretching (i.e., autogenic inhibition, reciprocal
inhibition).

- Static stretching temporarily turns off the neuromuscular activity. Dynamic movement turns on
the neuromuscular activity.
- Static (passive) stretch (applies to phases of PNF stretches) – both introduce a sustained low-
force stretch to slowly increase muscle length.
- Autogenic inhibition: Point of tension: immediate low-grade muscle spindle (MS) response ->
low-grade muscle response quickly decreases as stretch duration progresses -> after 7-10
seconds, muscle tension activates GTO response -> GTO activation. Inhibits MS activity
- Inhibits MS activity (Stretching that muscle spindle point of tension MS was activated
counterintuitive stretch again and went deeper Golgi tendon organ takes time to get active What
happen immediately is MS activation low grade contraction Golgi tendon activated shuts MS
down so override neural system Autogenic Inhibition that is why told to hold stretch like 16
seconds to 60 seconds because start to stretch muscle)
- Reciprocal Inhibition: low grade activity in antagonist -> immediately reduces muscle tonicity
in the agonist to facilitate movement -> movement: 1 set x 5-10 reps at a controlled tempo
- RI function is to prepare and coordinate nerve and muscle activity together

 Discuss the differences between elastic and plastic deformation when stretching muscle tissue.

- Muscle is comprised of two key protein structures; elastin which is elastic in nature (i.e., think
bungee cords) and collagen which is inelastic in nature (i.e., think rope).
- The ability to flex your elbow and stretch muscles in the posterior compartment (e.g., triceps) is
possible because of the presence of elastin. the tissue undergoes elastic deformation because of
elastin.
 - The removal of the strain (pull force) leaves the tissue temporarily deformed, a condition
referred to as plastic deformation (think squeezing toothpaste in a tube which remains
deformed after you stop squeezing the tube)

 Describe Hans Seyle’s discovery between the two types of stress (i.e., good v. bad), and the ideal
relationship between a stress experience and the recovery period.

- *Your body does not know, nor care about nature of stressors (e.g., HR, BP and sweat rate
responses to events) – differ only by magnitude of stress perception and they do accumulate…*
His research later distinguished between a good stress (eustress) and a bad stress (distress).
- For example, exercise, in moderation, is a eustress.
- For example, a lack of sleep, bad news or starvation are a distress

Homeostatic Control – Hormonal Effects

 Explain the changes that occur within our physiological systems due to the onset of stress (i.e.,
which increase, which decrease).

- Decreased salivary and digestive enzyme secretion and digestion

- Decreased stomach and SI contractility.
- Decreased pain perception
- Decreased growth, repair and maintenance.
- Decreased reproduction capacity.

- Increased cardiopulmonary response

- Increased vasodilation
- Increased mobilization of fuels
- Increased blood clotting ability
- Increased LI contractility
- Increased bladder contractility
- Increase immune function
- Increased sweat rates

 Describe the concerns associated with chronic stress (and sustained, elevated cortisol) without
exercise or physical activity.
o There is a constant level of cortisol which inhibits many hormones in the body such as:
 LPL-
 HPL-
 Insulin is inhibited
 Can suppress your metabolism up to 20%
 Increased resistance to leptin (helps with appetite regulation)
 Increases sensitivity to ghrelin which makes you feel hungry
 Neuropeptide Y is activated by cortisol, which equals greater appetite
 Compromises immune function; receptor resistance
 Decreased BDNF which reduces neurogenesis

 Discuss the differences in fat utilization, and the structural/functional differences in the fat droplet
inside the fat cell between males and females.
 o Women have smaller fat cells that are easier to break down. Men have larger fat cells that
do not break down as easily.

Pulmonary Physiology

 Explain each of the gas volumes discussed in this module.

o
 What are the four laws?
o 1. Daltons law- total pressure of gas mixture= sum of partial pressures of individual gases.
o 2. Boyles law- pressure is inversely related to volume.
o 3. Henrys law- with depth, increased pressure pushes more gas into blood (dissolved).
o 4. Poiseilles law-
 Define each of the static gas volumes.
o Total volume-
o
 Describe the dynamic lung volumes discussed in class.
o
 Discuss the key benefits associated with diaphragmatic breathing versus apical breathing.
o
 Calculate alveolar ventilation.
o
 Describe the relationship between bad posture and breathing.
o
 Describe strategies that can increase alveolar ventilation and pO2 levels in the alveoli.
o
 Calculate lung volumes changes as the body descends and ascends in water.
o
 Discuss concerns associated with rapid ascents and descents during diving.
o Rapid diminishment of air volume.
o Diving too quickly- nitrogen level elevated quickly in brain (narcosis).
o Descents need to be slow to allow for gas concentration in blood to…
o If you come up to surface to quickly, lungs can burst.
o If you come up too quickly, Nitrogen can expand and get trapped in the blood.

 Explain why breathing becomes more difficult at higher altitudes.

o Because there is less pressure in the air, the air doesn’t get down to your alveoli.
 You can increase your tidal volume to create more of that drive to push oxygen into
the blood.
 When you breath in deeper you push out harder, removing more CO2 from your
blood. Your body wants to maintain acid/base balance in your blood. If your
breathing off more CO2 then your body has to use bicarbonate to make this. (lactic
buffer)
 Very critical during anaerobic exercise.
o Acute ventilator compensation= hyperventilation.
o The air you breath in has be moistened, that moister comes from our cells, can cause
dehydration. Loss of blood volume.
 Chronic ventilation adaptations:
o Ve and Tv remain increased
o Increased in blood volume to support increased erythropoiesis
 Does not change blood viscosity
 Difficult to do if dehydration continues
 o Increased muscle myoglobin and capillary density= more O2 to mitochondria
o Acid-base readjustment between lungs and blood helps normalize lactate buffer
 Not back to normal levels

Cardiovascular Physiology

 Describe the mechanisms that regulate heart rate (intrinsic, extrinsic).

o The intrinsic factor that regulates the heart it the SA node.
 Releases action potential by depolarizing
 Action potential reaches AV node, delays the impulse to ventricles
 Action potential reaches ventricles and they contract
Parasympathetic system has dominance over heart.

o The extrinsic factor originates within the brain stem= cardiovascular control center.
 Motor cortex- voluntary control
 Sensory input- physical stimulus (body moving), receptors changing in metabolism
in body.

 Discuss the acute (short-term) changes within the cardiovascular system that occur during exercise.
o The heart has to beat harder and faster.
o The heart is beating faster so the heart cannot fill up as fast with blood and thus stroke
volume goes down.

 Describe the systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to different modalities of exercise.

o The systolic pressure is correlated with intense exercise.

o The pressure fluctuates between systolic blood pressure (SBP) representing the
pressure exerted by the blood upon the artery walls during the contraction or
‘afterload’ phase, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) representing the pressure
exerted by the blood upon the artery walls during the relaxation or ‘preload’ phase.

o Sympathetic innervation.
o Length tensions relationship- venous return= stroke volume
 Frank starling law of the heart

 Explain the concept of heart rate variability (HRV), how it is measured and how it is interpreted.

o This is the concept that heart rate is NOT constant during inhalation and exhalation.
 Inhalation: HR accelerates
 Intrathoracic pressure drops, decreasing venous return from lungs which in
turn increases heart rate to maintain cardiac output
 Measured through triggering inhibitory signals in NA (nucleus ambiguous),
leaving vagus nerve unstimulated ○

 Exhalation: HR decelerates:

 Intrathoracic pressure rises, increasing venous return from lungs which

decreases heart rate to maintain cardiac output

 Measured through stimulation of the vagues nerve

 Describe chronic adaptations that occur within cardiovascular system because of training.
o Blood and plasma volume

o Training increases quantity of plasma proteins in circulation and quantity of RBCs.

Starts to occur within 2-to-3 weeks.
Increases blood osmotic pressure = greater water retention = increased total blood volume.
Blood volume can expand 12-to-20%.

 Stroke volume
o Volume of blood ejected from left ventricle.
o When we go from rest to exercise-

 Plasma volume expansion and chamber enlargement.

More blood enters the ventricles, resulting in greater stretching and recoil (Frank-Starling
relationship).
Greater force of contraction results in greater emptying of the chambers.

 Cardiac output
o Measure of total volume of blood pumped by heart each minute- reflects heart work rate.

Hormonal control of heart:

Sympathetic neurotransmitter= norepinephrine (NE)
Hormone epinephrine (EPI) from the adrenal (gland) medulla
– Na and Ca leakage
+ 2+

–speeds membrane depolarization

Parasympathetic neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh)
– K leakage
+

–hyperpolarizes membrane, slows depolarization

 SV changes increase maximal Q from around 20 L/min to around 35 L/min with training.

Cardiac drift- upward drift in heart rate, caused by stress on our body

Chronic adaptations of heart: