Exercise Physiology

(physiological effect on body systems)

By: Nila Wahyuni

 Outcomes:
1) Describe the following systems:
- Cardiovascular system
- Respiratory system
- Neuromuscular system
- Endocrine system
2) Describe the acute/short term and chronic/long term
response to exercise.
Exercise Physiology
• The study of the effects of exercise on the body.
• Body’s adaptations to exercises
– Acute (short term) and chronic (long term)
adaptations
 Overview of body systems:

- Respiratory system
- Cardiovascular system
- Endocrine system
- Neuromuscular system
THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
 Organs of the Respiratory system
• Nose
• Pharynx
• Larynx
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Lungs –
alveoli

Figure 13.1
 Gas exchange at the alveoli
• The alveoli are bunches of
tiny air sacks inside the lungs.
• Each individual sack is called
an alveolus.
• When you breathe in, they fill
with air.

• The alveoli are covered in tiny capillaries (blood vessels).

• Gases can pass through the thin walls of each alveolus and
capillary, and into the blood stream.
• Gases can also pass from the blood stream, into the alveolus.
Gas exchange at the alveoli
Composition of inhaled and
exhaled air
Amount in Amount in
Gas
inhaled air exhaled air
Oxygen 21% 17%
Very small amount 3%
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen 79% 79%
Small amount Large amount
Water vapour
 Measuring breathing
Tidal volume is the amount you breathe in
and out in one normal breath.

Respiratory rate is how many

breaths you take per minute.

Minute volume is the volume of air

you breathe in one minute.

Vital capacity is the maximum volume of air you can

breathe out after breathing in as much as you can.

Residual volume is the amount of air left in your lungs after

you have breathed out as hard as you can.
 Calculating minute volume
Remember:
Minute volume is the volume of air
you breathe in one minute.
You can calculate a person’s minute volume by multiplying the
volume of air they breathe in one breath, by their respiratory
(breathing) rate.
Question
If you breathe 14 times in one minute (respiratory rate) and
you breathe 0.5 litres in each breath, what is your minute
volume?
• Answer:
• Minute volume = 14 × 0.5 litres
= 7.0 litres
Acute effects of exercise on
respiratory system
 Breathing during exercise
• During exercise the muscle cells
use up more oxygen and produce
increased amounts of carbon
dioxide.
• Your breathing rate increases and
you breathe more deeply.
 Breathing during exercise
Muscle cell respiration increases – more oxygen
is used up and levels of CO2 rise.

The brain detects increasing levels of CO2 – a

signal is sent to the lungs to increase breathing.

Breathing rate and the volume of air in each

breath increase. This means that
more gaseous exchange takes place.

The brain also tells the heart to beat faster

so that more blood is pumped
to the lungs for gaseous exchange.

More oxygenated blood gets to the

muscles and more CO2 is removed.
Breathing changes during exercise
Look at these statistics for a 16 year-old athlete:

During rest During exercise

Respiratory rate 14 breaths/ minute 32 breaths/ minute

Volume per
0.4 litres 2.4 litres
breath
Minute volume ? ?

Calculate the athlete’s minute volumes during rest and

exercise.
Rest minute volume = 5.6 litres
Exercise minute volume = 76.8 litres
The long term effects of exercise
on respiratory system
 The long term effects of exercise on lung
structures
In the long-term, regular exercise strengthens the
respiratory system.
The respiratory muscles (the
diaphragm and intercostals) get
stronger
Increase vital capacity.

More capillaries form around the alveoli,

so more gaseous exchange can take place.
THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
 INTRODUCTION
 The cardiovascular system is
transport system of body
 It comprises blood, heart and
blood vessels.
 The system supplies nutrients
to and remove waste products
from various tissue of body.

Figure 1-2(f)
 How does the cardiovascular
system do it?
• Heart is pump
• Arteries and veins are main tubes
(plumbing)
– Arteries Away from Heart
– Veins to Heart
• Diffusion happens in capillaries (oxygen,
CO2, glucose diffuse in or out of blood)
 Cardiac Output

• Cardiac output (Q) = the amount of blood

pumped by each ventricle per minute
• SV=“stroke volume” or the amount of blood
pumped by a ventricle in a single beat
• HR=“heart rate” or number of beats per
minute

CO = SV X HR
 Short term (acute) response
cardiovascular system to exercise
 Changes in heart rate as a subject
walks, jogs then run on the treadmill
Changes in stroke volume (SV) as a
subject exercises on a treadmill
Changes in cardiac output (Q) as a
subject exercises on a treadmill
Blood pressure responses to both leg and arm
cycling at the same relative rate of oxygen
consumption
Long term response cardiovascular
system to exercise
 Heart
Cardiac Hypertrophy

The wall of the left ventricle

thickens
to increase the strength of
its contractions
 CV system cont...
Increase in Stroke In untrained
Volume individuals stroke
SV = The amount of blood that volume at rest it
can be pumped by the heart averages 50-70ml/beat
per beat.
This means the heart can pump In elite athletes resting
more blood per minute. stroke volume
averages 90-
110ml/beat
 CV system con’t
Decreased HR

Normal heart
rate (HR) 60-80
beats / min
 CV system cont...
• Decreased Recovery
Time
• HR recovery is a measure
of how much your HR falls
the first minute after
exercise.
• Fit people can recover
more quickly.
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
• The Endocrine
Glands are the
organs of the
Endocrine System.
• They produce and
secrete (release)
Hormones.
• They are located all
over your body.
• The answer is
Hormones!
 Hormones are chemical messengers
that are released from glands into the
blood and affect cells in another part
of the body.
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

 Reduces water loss from the body to

maintain plasma volume
 Favors reabsorption of water from kidney
tubules to capillaries
Change in Plasma ADH Concentration
During Exercise
Change in Renin, Angiotensin II, and
Aldosterone During Exercise
 Cortisol
• Maintenance of plasma glucose
– Promotes protein breakdown for
gluconeogenesis
– Stimulates FFA mobilization
– Stimulates glucose synthesis
– Blocks uptake of glucose into cells
• Stimulated by:
– Stress
– Exercise
 Growth Hormone
• Effects:
- Supports the action of cortisol
- Decreases glucose uptake by tissues
- Increases free fatty acid mobilization
- Enhances gluconeogenesis in the liver
• Exercise effect
- Increase in plasma GH with increased
intensity
Changes in Plasma Growth Hormone
During Exercise
 Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
• Maintain blood glucose during exercise
– Muscle glycogen mobilization
– Increasing liver glucose mobilization
• Plasma E and NE increase during exercise
– Also related to increased heart rate and blood
pressure during exercise
Change in Plasma Epinephrine and
Norepinephrine During Exercise
 Muscle Glycogen Utilization
• Glycogenolysis is related to exercise intensity
– High-intensity exercise results in greater and
more rapid glycogen depletion
• Plasma epinephrine is a powerful stimulator
of glycogenolysis
– High-intensity exercise results in greater
increases in plasma epinephrine
Glycogen Depletion During Exercise
 INSULIN AND GLUCAGON
• Insulin
– Uptake and storage of glucose
– Plasma concentration decreases during
exercise
• Glucagon
– Mobilization of glucose
– Plasma concentration increases during
exercise
NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM
 Nervous System Structure
• Organization
– Brain
– Spinal cord
– Cranial nerve
– Spinal nerve

Figure 12.2, Marieb & Mallett (2003). Figure 12.7, Marieb & Mallett (2003). Human Anatomy.
Human Anatomy. Benjamin Cummings. Benjamin Cummings.
55
 Nervous System Structure
• The neuron: Functional unit of nervous tissue (brain,
spinal cord, nerves)
– Dendrites: Receptor sites
– Cell body: Integration
– Axon: Transmission

56
Dendrites
Cell body
Axon

Myelin sheath

Terminal ending

Terminal branch

Figure 12.4, Marieb & Mallett (2003). Human Anatomy.

Benjamin Cummings.
57
MUSCULAR SYSTEM
 Classification of Muscle Tissue
• Three types:
1. Smooth muscle
2. Cardiac muscle
3. Skeletal muscle

59
 Neuromuscular action

Nerve Neurotrans
impuls Neurotrans miter binds MUSCLE
Action
transmissio miter to receptor CONTRACTI
potential
n along the release at post ON
axon sinaps
Ach

61
Neuromuscular adaptations to
exercise
• Neural Adaptations
• Skeletal Muscle Adaptations
 Neural adaptations

• Neural adaptations can include improved

synchronization of motor unit (simultaneous
firing of motor neuron) cause improved ability
to recruit motor units (activation additional
motor neuron)
Muscle adaptations
 Two type of muscle

Muscle type

Fast twitch Slow twitch

 Slow-Twitch

Most active during: long-distance running,

swimming, and cycling
Red or dark in colour
Generate and relax tension slowly; able to
maintain a lower level of tension for long
durations
 Fast-Twitch

Ideal for: short sprints, power lifting, and explosive

jumping
Pale in colour
Ability to tense and relax quickly; generate large
amounts of tension with low endurance levels
(fatigue easily)
Fast vs. Slow
 Type of training

• Adaptations to resistance training are specific

to the type of exercise performed. Moreover,
resistance training has no meaningful impact
on aerobic power.
• Although aerobic endurance training increases
aerobic power, it does not enhance muscle
strength or size.
Skeletal muscle adaptation
 Thank you…
Matur suksma…