The short and long term effects of exercise

• Immediate effects of exercise: During exercise

  Heart rate increases, stroke volume increases, breathing rate increase and body temperature increase.
• Heart rate begins to beat faster.


  Exercise raises the heart rate to 100-150 bpm or even higher depending on how hard the exercise is.
• Stroke volume will increase


  As the heart will contract more powerfully during exercise. This means more blood is being pumped around the body taking oxygen and glucose to where it is needed.
• Breathing rate increases

  (Resting breathing rate is approximately 15) as well as the rate, the depth of breathing also increases. Increased rate and depth of breathing allows for more gas exchange in the lungs.
• Body temperature increases

  When muscles contract they generate heat which increases body temperature. In response the body begins to sweat to cool down, losing heat by the evaporation of sweat off the skin's surface. The skin goes red as blood vessels near the skin’s surface open to lose heat via radiation.
• Short term effects of exercise: Up to 36 hours after exercise


  Fatigue, dizziness/feeling faint and nausea.
• Long term effects of exercise: Months and years of exercising.

  • Weight loss
  • Muscle hypertrophy
  • Body shape may change
  • Depending on the exercise - certain fitness components may be developed for example, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance etc…
  • Joints get stronger - become more stable
  • Suppleness at the joints increases
  • Heart muscle increases in size - cardiac hypertrophy
  • Stroke volume will increase
  • Reduced resting heart rate (bradycardia)
• Weight loss, muscle hypertrophy, body shape:

  -regular exercise will reduce body weight, fat stores are used to supply the glucose needed for energy, over time this reduces the fat stores in the body and the performer loses weight

  -if the exercise is mainly anaerobic there will be a tendency to increase the size of the muscles involved in the exercise, this is called hypertrophy 

  -the result of these 2 factors is that the body shape may change
• Components of fitness:

  • If the exercise is mainly anaerobic and involves moving heavy objects around such as weights then there will bea build up of muscles strength
  • exercises that are repeated will lead to an improvement in muscular endurance in those muscles involved in that movement 
  • exercises that involve rapid anaerobic movements such as sprinting will eventually lead to an increase in speed
  • exercises that involve slower, rhythmical, aerobic movements such as running or swimming will eventually build up in the [performers cardio vascular endurance
• Joints get stronger, suppleness at the joints increase:


  Muscles,tendons and ligaments will get stronger therefore more stable, at the same time flexibility around the joints increases.
• Cardiac hypertrophy, increased stroke volume, bradycardia:

  • Heart muscle increases in size
  • the contraction is of a greater force so the blood will be pumped around the body quickly
  • resting heart rate will drop.
• What does EPOC stand for?

  Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption.
• Why do we get an ‘oxygen debt’ after strenuous exercise?


  Because you cannot get enough oxygen to your muscles fast enough during exercise and this will need to be replaced.
• What is the function of EPOC?

  To replace oxygen lost during exercise to help get rid of lactic acid.