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Introduction to Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals: What are the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems?

Introduction to Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals
What are the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems?
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Table Of Contents
  5. Attribution and OER Revision Statement
  6. Chapter 1: Body Systems Review
    1. The Cardiovascular System
    2. The Nervous System
    3. Reflexes
    4. The Skeletal System
    5. Divisions of the Skeletal System
    6. Skeletal Muscle
    7. Divisions of the Skeletal Muscles
    8. Describing Motion and Movements
    9. Identify Anatomical Locations
  7. Chapter 2: Biomechanics and Human Movement
    1. The Basics of Biomechanics
    2. Inertia and Momentum
    3. Force
    4. Doing Work
    5. Body Levers
    6. Nervous System Control of Muscle Tension
    7. Muscle Tissue and Motion
  8. Chapter 3: Exercise Metabolism
    1. Introduction to Bioenergetics and Metabolism
    2. Overview of Metabolic Reactions
    3. Metabolic States of the Body
    4. The Cardiorespiratory System and Energy Production
    5. ATP in Living Systems
    6. Types of Muscle Fibers
    7. Exercise and Muscle Performance
    8. Nutrition, Performance, and Recovery
    9. Carbohydrate Metabolism
    10. Protein Metabolism
    11. Lipid Metabolism
  9. Chapter 4: Fitness Principles
    1. What are Physical Activity and Exercise?
    2. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
    3. Components of Health-Related Fitness
    4. Principles of Adaptation and Stress
    5. FITT Principle
    6. Rest, Recovery, and Periodization
    7. Reversibility
    8. Training Volume
    9. Individual Differences
    10. Creating a Successful Fitness Plan
    11. Additional Safety Concerns
    12. Test Your Knowledge
  10. Chapter 5: Flexibility Training Principles
    1. What is Flexibility?
    2. Benefits of Flexibility and Stretching
    3. Improving Range of Motion
    4. Improving Flexibility
    5. Creating an Effective Stretching Program
    6. Assessing Your Flexibility
    7. Test Your Knowledge
  11. Chapter 6: Cardiorespiratory Training Principles
    1. What are the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems?
    2. Introduction: The Cardiovascular System
    3. Introduction: The Respiratory System
    4. The Process of Breathing and Respiratory Function
    5. Modifications to Breathing
    6. Changes in the CR System
    7. Measuring Heart Rate
    8. Measuring Intensity
    9. Cardiorespiratory Fitness Assessment
    10. Test Your Knowledge
  12. Chapter 7: Core and Balance Training Principles
    1. Lumbar Spine
    2. Abdomen
    3. The Pelvic Girdle
    4. Creating Movement at the Hip
    5. Balance
    6. Center of Gravity
    7. Supporting the Body
    8. Friction in Joints
    9. Human Stability
    10. Guidelines for Core and Balance Training
  13. Chapter 8: Plyometrics, Speed, Agility, and Quickness Training Principles
    1. Plyometric Exercises
    2. Variables of Plyometric Training
    3. Progressing a Plyometric Program
    4. Speed, Agility, and Quickness
    5. Speed
    6. Agility
    7. Quickness
  14. Chapter 9: Resistance Training Principles
    1. Resistance Exercise Programming
    2. Exercise Order
    3. Types of Resistance Training
    4. Basics of Form during Resistance Training
    5. Resistance Training Systems
    6. Resistance Training Conclusion
    7. Test Your Knowledge
  15. References
  16. Glossary
  17. MARC Record

47

What are the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems?

Dawn Markell and Diane Peterson

Imagine for a moment climbing to the top of Mt. Everest, a challenging feat very few have accomplished. In the process, you gradually ascend from base camp, which sits at about 17,500 feet above sea level, to the peak at over 29,000 feet. At this elevation, the pressure of oxygen is so low, you struggle to take in a satisfying breath. Although you strive to breathe deeply, you are unable to get enough air. Your heart rate increases and you might even develop nausea and a headache. Unless your body has a chance to acclimate itself to higher elevations or you gain access to supplemental oxygen, your symptoms will persist or worsen.

These are the sensations many people with cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or mild cardiovascular disease, experience on a daily basis. Climbing up a flight of steps may leave them gasping for air, as would walking briskly or even breathing in cold air. Regardless of the cause, being unable to take in sufficient air can create a sense of panic and cause serious physical discomfort.

From this simple example, hopefully, you feel an appreciation for the simple act of breathing and ensuing satisfaction that comes with each life-sustaining breath. For most people, unless they engage in strenuous physical activity sufficient to get them breathing hard, their cardiovascular (the heart, blood vessels, and blood) and respiratory system (lungs) operates efficiently enough to go relatively unnoticed. However, does that mean their cardiorespiratory (CR) system is functioning at optimal capacity? Or, could it be operating at a minimum level and experiencing problems that go undetected? This chapter defines cardiorespiratory fitness, examines the benefits of a healthy CR system, and explores how to effectively assess and improve the CR system.

How the CR System Works Together

The cardiorespiratory system operates to obtain and circulate vital compounds throughout the body—specifically, oxygen and nutrients, such as food energy, vitamins, and minerals. Both oxygen and nutrients, which are imperative for cellular energy production, must be taken in from the lungs and digestive system. Because the heart and lungs are so interlocked in this process, the two systems are often labeled together as the cardiorespiratory system. Without a healthy respiratory system, the body would struggle to bring in enough oxygen, release carbon dioxide (the chemical waste product of cellular metabolism) and eliminate unwanted particles that enter the respiratory tract when inhaling. Without a healthy heart, transporting oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive system to the body’s cells would be impossible. If the health of the CR system were compromised enough, survival would be impossible. Additionally, both must be healthy or the function of one or the other will be compromised.

Below are several videos explaining how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems operate and function together:

  • The CR System and Exercise
  • Effects of exercise on the circulatory and respiratory systems

Dawn Markell & Diane Peterson, Health and Fitness for Life. MHCC Library Press. Sept 4, 2019. https://mhcc.pressbooks.pub/hpe295

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Introduction: The Cardiovascular System
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Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Fitness

Copyright © 2021

                                by Amanda Shelton

            Introduction to Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals by Amanda Shelton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
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