06/07/2020

PNOĒ
CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM
Lesson One – The
Cardiovascular MODULE 1
System

FUNDAMENTALS IN
EXERCISE
PHYSIOLOGY

THE C ARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM

The cardiovascular system refers to the heart,

blood vessels and the blood.
Blood contains oxygen and other nutrients
which your body needs to survive. The body
takes these essential nutrients from the blood.
At the same time, the body dumps waste
products like carbon dioxide, back into the
blood, so they can be removed. The main
function of the cardiovascular system is
therefore to maintain blood flow to all parts
of the body, to allow it to survive.

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THE HEART

The heart, although a single organ, can be considered as two pumps that propel blood
through two different circuits.

The right atrium receives venous blood from the head, chest, and arms via the
large vein called the superior vena cava and receives blood from the abdomen, pelvic
region, and legs via the inferior vena cava.
Blood then passes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle, which propels it
through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. In the lungs venous blood comes in
contact with inhaled air, picks up oxygen, and loses carbon dioxide.
Oxygenated blood is returned to the left atrium through the pulmonary veins to the
left ventricle where it sent throughout the body via the arteries.
The low-pressure circuit from the heart (right atrium and right ventricle), through the
lungs, and back to the heart (left atrium) constitutes the pulmonary circulation.
Passage of blood through the left atrium, bicuspid valve, left ventricle, aorta, tissues of
the body, and back to the right atrium constitutes the systemic circulation.

THE HEART

• Electrical conduction in the heart in healthy

individuals is controlled by pacemaker cells
in the sinoatrial node. Electrical impulses
are conducted from the sinoatrial node to
the atrioventricular node and bundle of His,
through the bundle branches, and into the
ventricles.

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ADD VIDEO ON THE HEART

• https://youtu.be/qmpd82mpVO4

VEINS, ARTERIES AND

CAPILLARIES

Veins are blood vessels which carry de-oxygenated blood from

the body back to the heart. Blood in the veins is low in oxygen
(as it has been taken out by the body) and high in carbon dioxide
(as the body has unloaded it back into the blood).
Arteries are blood vessels which carry oxygenated blood from
the heart to the body. Blood in the arteries is oxygen rich as
oxygen has been reloaded onto the haemoglobin at the lungs.
There are also microscopic blood vessels which connect arteries
and veins together called capillaries that allow oxygen delivery
and CO2 extraction within your muscles.Training can increase or
decrease the number of capillaries available at the muscle,
therefore can influence oxygen delivery and utilization.

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CONSTRUCTION OF VEINS AND

ARTERIES

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYNcdZa_2B4&list=PLA59OBhl3zgWk9M
9M3srmW_sZUUB91-it&index=10

ADD VIDEO ON VESSELS

https://www.britannica.com/video/72962/vascular-system-veins-arteries-
capillaries-tissues-body

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THE BLOOD

• Haemoglobin is the most important

structure in O2 delivery and CO2
extraction in the muscle cell
• Haemoglobin is an iron-
containing protein located in the red blood
cells (erythrocytes) that transports O2 and
CO2 away from the tissues.
• Hemoglobin forms an unstable reversible
bond with oxygen. In the oxygenated state,
it is called oxyhemoglobin and is bright red;
in the reduced state, it is purplish blue.

ADD VIDEO OF HAEMOGLOBIN

• https://www.britannica.com/science/hemoglobin

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ADD VIDEO ON HOW SYSTEM WORKS

TOGETHER

• https://www.britannica.com/video/82437/circuit-system-lungs-body-tissues-
blood-cells

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THINGS TO CONSIDER
- HEART

• Cardiac Output (CO)

• The volume of blood being pumped by the heart
per unit of time in L/min
• Made up of Stroke Volume and Heart Rate
• Heart Rate (HR)
• The number of time your heart beats per minute
(bpm)
• Stroke Volume (SV)
• The amount of blood pumped per beat
• HR and SV and therefore CO is affected by
multiple factors including training

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POTENTIAL CARDIOVASCULAR
LIMITATIONS SPECIFIC TO PERFORMANCE
(NON-DISEASE)

• Heart
• Plumbing - ? valves
• Electrical - ? nodes
• Anything affecting CO (SV or HR)
• Vessels
• Number of capillaries
• Negatively or positively affected by training
• Affects O2 delivery and CO2 extraction
• Venous/Arterial Occlusion - ? strength
• Venous pooling - ? Respiratory system
• Blood
• Decreased number of red blood cells
• ? Bleeding/nutrition
• Decreased or unhealthy haemoglobin
• Low iron or B12 - ? Nutrition
• Consider Medications…

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TAKE HOME

• Cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, blood vessels and blood

• Responsible for O2 and nutrition DELIVERY to the muscles and CO2
DELIVERY to the lungs for extraction
• Any of these structures can limit performance
• All these structures can be affected by training and/or nutrition
• Can be affected by other systems…so be careful

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