Cardiovascular Response to Exercise

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the cardiovascular response to exercise.

Cardiac Cycle

All mechanical and electrical events that occur during one heartbeat.

Stroke Volume (SV)

Volume of blood pumped in one heartbeat; calculated as EDV - ESV.

Ejection Fraction (EF)

Percent of end-diastolic volume (EDV) pumped; calculated as SV/EDV.

Cardiac Output (Q)

Total volume of blood pumped per minute; calculated as HR × SV.

Arrhythmia

Irregular heartbeat rhythm caused by heart conditions and unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Vascular System

Network of vessels that carries blood away from and towards the heart.

Myocardium

The cardiac muscle layer of the heart responsible for contraction.

Hemodynamics

The study of blood flow and blood pressure in the cardiovascular system.

Cardiac Conduction System

Special heart cells that generate and spread electrical signals to control heartbeats.

Preload

End-diastolic volume in ventricles that influences cardiac muscle stretch.

Cardiovascular Drift

Phenomenon during prolonged exercise where heart rate increases while stroke volume decreases.

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)

Average arterial pressure during a single cardiac cycle; important for blood flow and tissue perfusion.

Intrinsic Heart Rate (HR)

Heart rate generated by the pacemaker cells without neural innervation; about 100 beats/min.

Blood Pressure

The force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels during systole and diastole.

Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP)

Highest pressure in artery during systole; reflects the heart's pumping strength.

Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP)

Lowest pressure in artery during diastole; indicates relaxation of the heart.

Pacemaker

Cells in the SA node that initiate contraction signals in the heart.

Atrioventricular Node (AV Node)

Node in the heart that delays and relays signals from the SA node to the ventricles.

Pulmonary Circulation

Circulation of blood from the right heart to the lungs for oxygenation.

Systemic Circulation

Circulation of oxygenated blood from the left heart to the rest of the body.