Blood Pressure

Contraction and relaxation of the chamber walls changes the pressure exerted on the blood

Diastolic: force exerted by blood on arterial walls during ventricular relaxation

Systolic: force exerted by blood on arterial walls during ventricular contraction

A healthy adult:

90-120mmHg (systolic)

60-80mmHG (diastolic)

mmHG:the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of the arteries

Blood pressure in response to exercise

Dynamic Exercise (squat):

Systolic BP increases (can rise to 200mmHg during exercise)

Diastolic BP remains constant

Muscles move through a specific range of movement

Involved repetitive movement promoting efficient blood flow and allowing blood vessels to relax and dilate

--> keeps diastolic pressure from rising too much

Static exercise (wall sit):

Systolic BP increases

Diastolic BP increases

Muscle length does not change and joints don't move

Requires muscles to stay contracted which limits blood flow and increases pressure

--> the body interprets this as a higher resistance rate so both systolic and diastolic pressures increase to overcome this resistance

Blood Flow Redistribution (vascular shunting)

Muscle used during exercise the blood flow increases

--> more oxygen and nutrients are required

--> more heat and waster products need to be removed

More blood is directed to active muscles

Dilating arterioles supply the muscle and open more of the capillary network within the muscle

--> 25 times more blood flow to active muscles