Let's talk today about cardio training and the positive changes they bring to our body.
Training with cardio equipment in the gym falls under endurance-focused workouts. Our cardiovascular system adapts almost immediately to the new training regime — heart rate and blood pressure change.
And of course, the respiratory system always works in coordination with it, so during training we observe a change in breathing rate as well. It is no coincidence that the vasomotor and respiratory centers are located in close proximity to each other in the medulla oblongata.
Regular training of this kind causes not immediate but accumulated changes, in other words, it contributes to cumulative adaptation. What does it consist of?
Pulmonary ventilation increases (the circulation of air passing through the lungs accelerates),
The contractile ability of the heart, its internal volume, and cardiac output increase,
Resting heart rate and heart rate during routine activity decrease,
Blood pressure at rest and during low-intensity activity decreases,
Conditions are created for selective muscle hypertrophy and the transition of intermediate fibers to endurance fibers,
The number of capillaries and the concentration of myoglobin (a muscle cell protein that carries oxygen) increase,
The number and size of mitochondria (structural elements of the cell where oxidative reactions occur to produce energy) increase,
The efficiency of lipid and carbohydrate oxidation improves, and glycogen stores increase.
For less conditioned clients, positive changes may manifest as the ability to climb stairs without shortness of breath, as well as an overall improvement in mood and well-being.
And how do you feel about cardio training?