cardiovascular exercise

You can train your Heart.

Regular endurance training brings noticeable improvements in your performance. These are largely due to profound adjustments in the cardiovascular system.

Through continuous training, the heart in particular undergoes physiological changes that make it more efficient and powerful.

In this article, we look at the various adjustment processes of the heart in detail and explain which mechanisms behind the Training your heart muscle plug in.

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1. The heart as a key organ in endurance training

The heart is the central organ of the cardiovascular system and supplies the body with energy by pumping oxygen-rich blood.

During endurance training, whether jogging, swimming, cycling or other cardio training, the heart is more stressed.

This burden leads to long-term adjustments that Make the heart more efficient. Sport therefore generally provides for a Stimulate your circulation.

The most important physiological adaptations can be divided into three main areas:

• Structural adjustments (heart hypertrophy)
• Functional adjustments (stroke volume and heart rate)
• Molecular and cellular adaptations (capillarization and mitochondria)
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2. Structural adjustments: cardiac hypertrophy (athlete's heart)

One of the most noticeable adaptations of the heart to regular endurance training is the so-called cardiac hypertrophy, which occurs primarily among endurance athletes.

This enlarges the heart — in particular the left ventricle, i.e. the main chamber of the heart, which pumps oxygen-rich blood into the systemic circulation system.

• Left ventricular dilation:
• As a result of the repetitive load during endurance training, the heart volume adapts by enlarging the left heart chamber.
• This enlargement allows the heart to absorb and pump out more blood with each beat.
• As a result, the Stroke volume (the amount of blood that is pumped per heartbeat), which increases the efficiency of the heart.
• Wall thickness of the left ventricle:
• In addition to the increase in volume, there is also a slight increase in Muscle thickness of the heart walls. This distinguishes the “athlete's heart” from the so-called “pathological heart”, as occurs in hypertensive patients, for example.
• In contrast to pathological cardiac hypertrophy, that of an athlete's heart is characterized by good elasticity and efficiency.

These adjustments mean that the heart can pump more blood per beat — a decisive factor for increased endurance performance.

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3. Functional adjustments: stroke volume and heart rate

Another important aspect of adjustment concerns the heart rate And that Stroke volume:

• Increased stroke volume:
• The structural enlargement of the heart allows the heart to eject more blood per heartbeat.
• At rest, this causes the heart to have to beat less frequently to pump the same amount of blood throughout the body. The result: a lower resting heart rate — a phenomenon known as bradycardia is well known.
• Athletes' hearts often have a resting heart rate of just 40 to 60 beats per minute, compared to around 70 to 80 beats for untrained people.
• Lower heart rate during exercise:
• Even at sub-maximum load, the heart of trained people beats more slowly because it works more efficiently.
• The heart must beat fewer times to maintain the same blood flow as untrained people.
• Improved maximum heart output:
• At maximum load, this increases Cardiac output (the amount of blood that the heart pumps per minute) significantly increases due to the larger stroke volume.
• While the heart rate of untrained people is around 15 to 20 liters per minute, trained endurance athletes can reach values of up to 40 liters per minute.

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4. Molecular and Cellular Adaptations: Capillarization and Oxygen Supply

Regular endurance training upgraded not just the Heart function itself, but also leads to adjustments in surrounding tissues:

• Capillarization:
• The number of small blood vessels (capillaries) that traverse the heart muscle tissue increases as a result of regular exercise.
• This increased capillary density improves oxygen supply to the heart and muscles, which enables a more efficient energy supply during training.
• Increased mitochondrial density:
• In addition to capillarization, there is an increase in mitochondria. More mitochondria mean higher aerobic capacity, i.e. the ability to obtain energy from oxygen.
• This is crucial for endurance performance.

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5. Adjustments to blood volume and blood values

Blood volume also adapts to regular endurance training. After just a few weeks of training, you can increase in blood volume Detect by up to 20%.

A larger volume of blood means that the heart can absorb more blood and transport more oxygen to the muscles with every beat.

In addition, the oxygen-binding capacity of the blood, as the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin levels increase.

This further optimizes the oxygen supply to the muscles during intensive exercise.

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6. Long-term effects and benefits of heart adjustments

The described adaptations of the heart and the cardiovascular system have numerous health benefits:

• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease:
• A trained heart works more economically and is more resistant to heart attacks, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Improved recovery:
• Your heart can return to rest more quickly after exertion. This rapid heart rate variability is considered a sign of good fitness and a healthy cardiovascular system.
• High heart rate variability (HRV) also indicates a slightly stressed nervous system.
• Increasing overall performance:
• A larger heart rate, increased stroke volume and improved oxygen supply result in higher maximum performance and better endurance.
• A trained circulation leads to more self-determination in old age, as the better oxygen supply is also helpful for everyday activities.

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Conclusion: The heart as a powerful motor through regular endurance training

Regular endurance training results in a variety of physiological adjustments in the heart — from cardiac hypertrophy about the Increasing stroke volume up to improved oxygen supply.

These adjustments not only make the heart more efficient, but also healthier and more resistant to diseases.

Training therefore acts like a natural “motor tuner” for the heart — the more regularly and specifically you train, the more efficiently your cardiovascular system will work.

Use this effect to improve your health in the long term and increase your athletic performance!