Most people think that fitness means more exercise. It’s a question of acting smarter. To really perform at any sport or feel your best during exercise, your body needs to provide oxygen to the muscles that are working at maximum efficiency. This did not happen by accident. Physiological adaptations are needed to improve three important areas: cardiac output, respiration, and blood oxygen carrying capacity.
One of the most effective ways to bring about these changes is cross training. It’s not just a buzzword. This involves practicing multiple sports and fitness components such as strength, endurance and flexibility simultaneously or sequentially.
The heart’s new efficiency
The heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, it responds to demands. Regular training causes structural and functional changes. The most significant effect on heart rate is the increase in stroke volume. This means the heart becomes bigger and stronger, pumping more blood with each beat.
There are strict limits to the beating of the human heart. The maximum heart rate for most athletes is around 180-190 beats per minute. If your heart beats fast when you’re at rest, it doesn’t have room to grow during intense exercise. This is why resting heart rate is important.
Well-trained athletes often find that their resting heart rate drops to 50-60 beats per minute. Compare this to an average heart rate of 70-80 beats per minute for an unexercised person. A slower baseline gives your heart more room to expand its rate during physical exertion. A wider range combined with a larger stroke volume dramatically increases blood flow to the muscles that need it the most.
Lungs and muscles work together
The respiratory system is also strengthened. Exercise can slow your breathing rate at rest and increase your breathing rate during exercise. More importantly, the tidal volume is increasing. This is the amount of air that changes with each breath.
“Exercise also increases the amount of oxygen that working muscles receive from the blood, which may reflect an increase in metabolic enzymes.”
This means your lungs can move more air and your muscles can better separate what they need from the air. The increased power may be due to an increase in metabolic enzymes in the muscle tissue.
Height and EPO myths
You may have heard that elite runners train in the mountains. There is a scientific reason for this. There is less oxygen in the high air. The body responds by producing a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO).
EPO signals the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells and hemoglobin. More hemoglobin means more oxygen can be carried in the blood. This is a natural and effective adaptation for athletes looking for an edge.
But some people take a dangerous shortcut by injecting synthetic EPO.
The International Olympic Committee forbids this practice for good reason. Injecting EPO can make your blood too thick. Thick blood makes it difficult for it to flow. The risk of serious circulatory disorders may be increased. A heart attack or stroke can happen quickly. The body’s natural adaptation to the altitude is safe. This does not apply to artificial enhancement.
Why it matters to you
You don’t need to exercise at high altitude or take hormone injections to see results. Cross training allows your body to naturally increase these powers. A change in stimuli, such as running, lifting weights or cycling, forces the heart, lungs and blood to adapt.
The point is not just to sweat. It’s about improving the mechanisms that keep you active. When your heart beats better and your lungs exchange more air, everyday life becomes easier. Improving athletic performance. I just feel more capable.
Visit Sharecare.com for frequently asked questions and expert answers about fitness and exercise.
