Effects of exercise
The minute you start training, you’ll notice more frequent muscle contraction, raised body temperature and pulse, and deeper breathing known as tidal volume
Longer-term effects occur as the body adapts to regular exercise, including your heart getting larger, bones becoming denser and the vital capacity of your breath deepening
The bones, joints and muscles
Immediate effects when first exercising include:
Muscles contract more often
Blood flow to muscles increases
Muscle temperature rises
Little effect on bones and joints
Effects of regular training include:
Muscles increase in size (hypertrophy)
Muscular endurance improves
Muscles, tendons and ligaments around joints get stronger
Joints become more stable and flexibility at joints increases
Bone width and density increases
The cardiovascular system
Immediate effects when first exercising include:
Heart contracts more often – increased heart rate
Effects of regular training include:
Heart muscle increases in size and strength
Heart contracts more powerfully – increased stroke volume, which is the volume of blood pumped from heart with each beat
Blood diverted to muscles, eg it is diverted from the digestive system to the muscles
Blood temperature rises
Blood vessels near skin open to allow heat to be lost
Cardiac output increases. Cardiac means relating to the heart so this is the amount of blood that the heart pumps out to the body
Lower resting heart rate, quicker recovery from exercise
Reduced risk of heart disease
Increased number of capillaries in muscles
Increased volume of blood and red blood cells
After exercise, you’ll find your body experiences immediate and more gradual effects
The respiratory system
Immediate effects when first exercising include:
Effects of regular training include:
Increased rate of breathing
Increased depth of breathing – rise in tidal volume
Increased ability of the lungs to extract oxygen from the air
Increased vital capacity
Greater number of alveoli
Increased amount of oxygen delivered to, and carbon dioxide removed from, the body
Increased strength of diaphragm and intercostal muscles