Short term effects of exercise

• Short-Term Effects of Exercise


  Effects that occur during and immediately after exercise
• Effects on the Muscular System

  1. Muscles release energy for movement

  2. Producing energy also generates heat, increasing muscle temperature

  3. Muscles produce lactic acid

  4. Lactic acid build-up causes muscle fatigue and pain

  5. Muscles need oxygen to remove lactic acid, creating an oxygen debt
• Effects on the Respiratory System

  1. Muscles like pectorals and sternocleidomastoid work harder to let in more air

  2. Increases tidal volume and respiratory rate, leading to increased minute ventilation

  3. Helps to remove extra carbon dioxide produced during exercise

  4. Allows for aerobic activity for longer periods

  5. Breathing rate and depth remain higher until oxygen debt is paid off
• Intensity of exercise

  More intense exercise leads to greater changes in the respiratory system
• The effects on the respiratory system depend on the intensity of the exercise
• Effects on the Cardiovascular System

  1. Heart rate and stroke volume increase

  2. Cardiac output increases

  3. Increased blood and oxygen supply to muscles

  4. More carbon dioxide transported to lungs to be exhaled

  5. Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output remain higher after exercise until oxygen debt is paid off
• Vascular shunting


  Blood is redistributed to supply more oxygen to working muscles, away from organs like the gut and liver
• Intensity of exercise

  Amount of blood shunted to working muscles
• Vascular shunting happens during exercise because muscles need blood more than some organs
• Vascular shunting involves vasodilation and vasoconstriction
• The cardiovascular and respiratory systems work together to meet the increased oxygen demand during exercise
• The changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems happen gradually during exercise
• The changes allow for aerobic activity and help recover from anaerobic activity
• Graphical representation of short-term effects

  Graphs/tables can show changes in heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output during and after exercise
• Graphical representation

  • Heart rate increases during exercise, then gradually returns to resting level after exercise