Endurance training programs cause the cardiovascular system to undergo significant adaptations, all of which are designed to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of the system, and therefore enable it to function more efficiently and effectively. All of these changes have the potential to enhance performance because more oxygen will be delivered to active muscles more quickly, and carbon dioxide removed more efficiently, so that metabolism can occur at faster rates. This allows more energy to be released to the muscles for them to continue working. In addition, changes in temperature and pH, which occur as a result of muscles being more active, have the potential to inhibit performance. These inhibitory forces can be buffered more efficiently with the increased blood flow, and increased oxygen delivery that results from these changes, making these inhibitors less likely to affect performance detrimentally.
The most significant changes in the cardiovascular system occur in heart size, stroke volume, heart rate, cardiac output, blood flow, blood pressure and blood volume.
The most significant changes in the cardiovascular system occur in heart size, stroke volume, heart rate, cardiac output, blood flow, blood pressure and blood volume.