How long does it take to see an adaptation from training? Anaerobically/aerobically?
Maximal oxygen consumption has been shown to increase with aerobic training. Improvements of around 5-20% can be achieved with 8-12 weeks of training (depending on the circumstances). Anaerobic training takes around 6-12 weeks to observe change.
An increase in VO2 max (Maximal oxygen consumption) from aerobic training, results in an increase to what?
Increases in cardiac output and haematocrit (ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood). The increase in the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) is shown to be a result of a number of changes. Including an increase in oxygen delivering to the working muscles and an increase in ability of the muscles to extract the oxygen from the blood, that is, the a-vO2 diff. The increase in cardiac output is a result of an increase in heart rate and the stroke volume at maximal intensities; and the increase in a-vO2 diff is a result of changes within the muscle. Oxygen extraction also reaches maximum during high-intensity exercise.
Aerobic training and chronic adaptations to skeletal muscle
Aerobic training increases the ability of the skeletal muscles to oxidise glycogen during maximal and sub-maximal exercise. Also results in an increased oxidation of fats at rest.
Regular aerobic training may result in
Increased ratio of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The LDLs carry cholesterol to the arterial walls and empty/deposit it there as plaque, which damages the arteries and causes narrowing of the blood vessels, hindering blood flow. The HDLs aim to combat this by removing the plaque from the arterial walls and delivering to the liver, where it can be synthesised.
Define a-vO2 diff
The difference in oxygen concentration between the blood in the arteries compared to the blood in the veins; it is a measure of the amount of oxygen the working muscles are using. Aerobic training leads to an increase in the a-vO2 diff, thereby allowing the working muscles receive more oxygen.
Factors that affect the development of chronic adaptations to exercise
Type and method undertaken; aerobic versus anaerobic training and different training methods lead to different adaptations
The frequency, intensity and duration of training; the greater the frequency, intensity, and duration of the training, the greater the adaptations
The individual's capacities and heredity factors; genetic make-up such as VO2 max and fibre type distribution.
Understand what affect training has on your heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output; at rest, sub-maximal, and maximal intensity. Aeoribically and anaerobically.
From aerobic training, heart rate will decrease, that is, resting heart rate and submax HR.
Stroke volume will increase at rest and submax during aerobic training. If cardiac output stays the same but heart rate decreases, there must be an increase in stroke volume due to the increased ventricle size and increased diastolic filling time. From anaerobic exercise, stroke volume will remain unchanged even though the heart can eject more blood more forcefully from the left ventricle
Cardiac output will remain unchanged at rest and submaximal exercise but will increase at max intensity as a result of aerobic training.
Relationship between heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output
Cardiac output refers to the amount of blood that is pumped out of the heart per minute. It is the product of heart rate and stroke volume; how often the heart beats per minute multiplied by stroke volume - how much blood is ejected from the heart with each beat. An increase in either heart rate or stroke volume result in an increase in cardiac output. Q = HR X SV
Other cardiovascular adaptations to aerobic training
Cardiac hypertrophy - increased left ventricle size and volume. With aerobic training comes increased capillarisation, which allows for improved blood flow to the heart, delivering more oxygen to the myocardium to meet it's energy demands. Blood flow to the heart, however, decreases at rest and at sub-maximal exercise. The heart rate also decreases during resting and sub-maximal activities, however, there is an decrease heart rate recovery time, meaning it takes less time for a trained athlete's heart rate to return it's original level. There is also a decrease in blood pressure, and there is an increase a-vO2 diff. Increased blood volume and haemoglobin levels. Also increased capillarisation of skeletal muscles.
How do these chronic adaptations lead to an increased performance for an endurance athlete (aerobic training)?
Increased blood volume and haemoglobin levels result in greater oxygen carrying capacity by the blood, allowing for more oxygen to be delivered to the working muscles. A greater level of oxygen being delivered to the muscles means that more oxygen is available to be used by the aerobic energy system, this results in the athlete being able to perform at a higher intensity while still predominately relying on the aerobic system.