The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins…

The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins. The heart plays an important role in ensuring that blood is circulated throughout the body. The arteries are high-pressure tubes that help deliver oxygenated blood to the tissues. Blood that is pumped from the left ventricle
of the heart via the aorta is then supplied to various tissues in the body through arteries.
Capillaries, on the other hand, consist of a network of microscopic blood vessels that are thin
enough to allow blood cells to squeeze through (Katch, McArdle, & Katch, 2015). Veins help
in maintaining the continuity of blood by ensuring that deoxygenated blood flows back to the
heart. Veins contain about 65 percent of the total blood volume, and therefore they do not act
as passive conduits. Evidently, the circulatory system is an interconnected system that
delivers oxygenated blood to tissues and ensures that deoxygenated blood is then delivered
back to the heart.
When one is resting, the blood pressure differs significantly compared to when one is
exercising. At rest, the highest pressure that results from pumping by the left ventricle
reaches about 120 mm Hg. When the heart relaxes, the valves of the aorta shut. Continuous
pressure is provided by the arteries’ natural recoil. During the diastole phase, the blood
pressure reduces to about 70 to 80 mm Hg (Katch, McArdle, & Katch, 2015). However, the
pressure can be affected by various factors, including the mineral and fat deposits within the
walls of the arteries. The fat and mineral deposits create resistance and can result in a systole
pressure of over 300 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of over 120 mm Hg. When one is
exercising, the blood pressure rises. The rise in blood pressure helps supply the muscles with

oxygenated blood. The result is a rise in the cardio output, which describes the number of
heartbeats as well as the volume of blood that is pumped for every stroke of the heart.
The oxygen used when one is exercising and at rest also differ. When one is at rest,
the myocardium extracts 70 percent or 80 percent of oxygen from the blood (Katch,
McArdle, & Katch, 2015). Many tissues at rest use about 25 percent of the oxygen available
in the blood. At rest, one achieves near-maximum oxygen myocardium oxygen extraction.
When one is exercising, coronary blood flow increases four to six times compared to when
one is resting. As the rate of exercising increases, the myocardial flow also increases to
ensure that oxygen supply is matched to the demand. One important factor that is important is
the VO2max. The VO2 max is the measure of the maximum oxygen consumption when one
is exercising. VO2max indicates one’s level of fitness (Ross et al., 2016). A higher VO2max
is indicative of higher levels of aerobic fitness. With age, the VO2max declines. As you get
older, it becomes increasingly difficult to handle extended periods of exercise (Ross et al.,
2016). After exercising, the cardiovascular system slows down to attain normal. Evidently,
two chronic adaptations to exercise are blood pressure and cardiac output. Cardiac output
increases when one is exercising. The blood pressure also increases.

References

Katch, V., McArdle, W., & Katch, F. (2015). Essentials of exercise physiology. (5 th  ed.).
Retrieved from https://www.vitalsource.com/
Ross, R., Blair, S. N., Arena, R., Church, T. S., Després, J. P., Franklin, B. A., … & Wisløff,
U. (2016). Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice: a case
for fitness as a clinical vital sign: a scientific statement from the American Heart
Association. Circulation, 134(24), e653-e699.