Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ezequiel Garcia
ENGL 1302
Introduction
Exercise is an important function and hobby that many people participate in and live by.
Doing so can help a person live a healthy and comfortable life as they get older. Many different
forms of exercise are performed but eventually all culminate into one positive, which is
improvement of the body. The most important muscle that is worked on while performing any
physical activity is the cardiovascular system. Ignoring the heart and preventing it from getting
routine exercise will present dangerous effects over time if not addressed within a certain amount
of time. Regularly working on the cardiovascular system can improve a person’s body function
and overall cardiovascular health. Frequent physical activity that puts a moderate strain on the
heart will present physical improvements such as slight cardiac remodeling, improvement of
Cardiac Remodeling
Cardiac remodeling may sound like a frightening concept but, it can be beneficial
addition to a healthy individual’s heart. It is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is the result
of frequent long-term exercise and allows a person to do what stress that was put on the heart for
a longer period of time. The changing in shape can help improve the hearts overall efficiency of
Garcia 2
blood intake which allows it to work less while providing the same quality of results. Seo et al
found while conducting a study that cardiac adaptation does indeed happen when performing
exercise training. “For example, dynamic exercise training increases cardiac contractility through
the Starling effect, in which the increased amount of venous blood returning to the heart
ultimately increases the amount of blood released from the heart. This resulting chronic “volume
overload” induces eccentric cardiac remodeling” (157). This is what happens when endurance-
based exercises such as running or high intensity movements that get the heart pumping are
performed and the benefits that the cardiovascular system acquires once the changes in shape
occur. The heart will pump more blood throughout the body and receive more blood from the
body which increases the oxygenation of the muscle which is perfect when it comes to
stated by the same research. Seo et al states “In contrast, muscle strength exercise induces
resulting in concentric cardiac remodeling” (157). This type of physical change in the heart is
caused by primarily lifting weight at a moderately heavy weights which put a strain on the
cardiovascular system. This type of stress is pressure in the heart which causes a thickening of
the walls which help the heart pump harder and resist the heavy amount of blood pressure that is
received when lifting. Depending on what type of exercise is done will result in some form of
cardiac remodeling, also called cardiac hypertrophy, which will allow the heart to perform better
when doing said exercise. For example, as stated above, runners gain a “tolerance” and can run
longer distances faster if performing a run over and over again. The heart adapts and changes
chape to accommodate for the added stress of the exercise. Additionally, this benefit is not
limited to young and middle-aged people. This extends to the elderly who benefit greatly from
Garcia 3
the cardiac remodeling that takes place from physical activity. According to Taylor et al “In
young men and women and older males, exercise-induced increases in cardiac output are
associated with ventricular hypertrophy following endurance training” (708). The hypertrophy
that was discussed earlier is still well and prominent when it comes to older individuals and still
provides them with the same benefits as it would before. It also reveals that endurance based
physical activity has been shown to improve the hearts function by inducing cardiac hypertrophy
which in turn allows the person to perform the exercise with more and more ease.
Lipids, also known as fats, can be great for the heart but, an abundance of lipids can
cause disastrous effects to the heart and arteries that can possibly lead to death. These effects can
range from trouble breathing and being physically tired all the time to something more dangerous
such as a heart attack or stroke. It is essential to prevent these as they can cause permanent
damage or death. Physical activity directly helps the heart deal with the overflow of lipids and
balances them out so that a person’s heart can stay healthy. Vogel et al states “This study reveals
an improved profile of HDL cholesterol and of its subfractions compared with a control group
without any training. Halverstadt et al. observed a significant improvement of LDL cholesterol
and triglycerides after a 24-week endurance exercise training proposed to healthy older subjects”
(306). Additionally, to further provide evidence for this claim, Prabhakaran et al so states “The
effect of aerobic exercise on serum lipids has been the focus of most study. Favorable changes in
triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol have been reported in men after acute aerobic exercise”
(190). The research states that a frequent schedule of mid-range intensity exercise will in fact
bring lowered cholesterol and fats that will be in the body. The exercise directly correlates to an
improvement in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides which need to be in check else problems will
Garcia 4
arise. Doing so can help prevent diseases such as coronary heart disease and lower risk of heart
attacks. Additionally, physical activity can also help with the function that that processes HDL
and allows it to interact with the other cholesterol’s that are in the body. Sternfeld et al states
“These findings suggest that a major consequence of regular physical activity with regard to
synthesis, metabolism and transport of lipids lipoproteins may be the enhancement of reverse
cholesterol transport, the process by which HDL-C interacts with cholesterol and moves it from
the peripheral circulation and tissues to the liver for excretion as bile” (31). This again can lead
to a lower lipid profile which will keep a person’s heart free from plaque that can be caused by
The heart is constantly pumping blood throughout the body so that it can provide the
body’s cells with its much-needed oxygen. Performing physical activity and exercise regularly
can make the heart pump blood more efficiently allowing it to do the same work without
working as hard. As the heart adapts it will perform the task easier and easier and eventually the
person will find that the task is not as hard as it once was. Cordero et al states “Cardiovascular
adaptation with training mainly involves the following: a) an increase in stroke volume: b) an
increase in heart cavity volume and wall thickness: c) a decrease in heart rate both at rest and
during submaximal exercise, and d) an improvement in myocardial perfusion” (749). The heart
adapts to the stress put on it by physical exercise and does so by increasing the stroke volume
which allows it to push more blood out for oxygenation. By doing this, the heart does not need to
pump as much as it did before as it is getting the same amount of blood out with the increase in
clinically apparent cardiovascular disease, higher physical activity levels were associated
Garcia 5
proportionally greater left ventricular mass and end-diastolic volume and lower resting heart
rate” (71). Again, frequent physical activity brings a higher blood volume specifically in the
diastolic portion of the heartbeat which brings more blood towards the lungs all while keeping
the heart rate low so that stress on the heart is not too high. By doing this more oxygenated blood
reaches the cells while no extra work is done. This allows a person to perform an exercise or
endurance training more frequently and for a longer period of time. Another adaption that
correlates to the heart is the venous system that surrounds the cardiovascular system and how its
improved over a long period of time. An increased response to vasodilation has a relation to an
increased amount of blood that flows around the body. Long term exercise is a way to acquire
this benefit from the cardiovascular system. According to Churchill W. “Other studies in young
athletes have shown generally similar responses, although enhanced vasodilation has been
observed in older athletes and older exercisers” (59). An increased vasodilation response is
directly correlated to an increased blood volume in the body which is oxygenated and carried
throughout the body to the cells. Athletes who have been participating in exercise routinely for
some time will see these benefits the longer they are exercising for. It can also be seen by an
increased among of veins throughout the body which increase in size which accommodate for the
increased volume.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, higher levels of physical activity have been shown to increase a
person’s overall function of life specifically in their cardiovascular system. It does this by
changing shape, improving lipids, and being more efficient and pumping blood. The research and
evidence supports this claim and it is clear that physical activity can bring all of these benefits.
Garcia 6
Works Cited
Churchill, Timothy W. “The Impact of Exercise and Athletic Training on Vascular Structure and
Function.” Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol. 22, no. 12, 2020,
Cordero, Alberto, et al. “Physical Exercise and Health.” Revista Española De Cardiología
doi:10.1016/j.exger.2017.05.016.
Prabhakaran, B., et al. "Effect of 14 Weeks of Resistance Training on Lipid Profile and Body Fat
Seo, Dae Yun, et al. “Cardiac Adaptation to Exercise Training in Health and Disease.” Pflugers
Archiv : European Journal of Physiology, vol. 472, no. 2, 2020, pp. 155–168.,
doi:10.1007/s00424-019-02266-3
Sternfeld, Barbara, et al. “Seven-Year Changes in Physical Fitness, Physical Activity, and Lipid
Profile in the Cardia Study.” Annals of Epidemiology, vol. 9, no. 1, 1999, pp. 25–33.,
doi:10.1016/S1047-2797(98)00030-1.
Taylor, AH, et al. “Physical Activity and Older Adults: A Review of Health Benefits and the
Effectiveness of Interventions.” Journal of Sports Sciences, vol. 22, no. 8, 2004, pp. 703–
725.
Garcia 7
Vogel, T, et al. “Health Benefits of Physical Activity in Older Patients: A Review.” International
Journal of Clinical Practice, vol. 63, no. 2, 2009, pp. 303–320., doi:10.1111/j.1742-
1241.2008.01957.x.