Describe the effect of stroke volume and cardiac output on aerobic performance. (3 marks)
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- Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped from the heart per beat. Increased stroke volume delivers more oxygen-rich blood to working muscles during each heartbeat, improving aerobic capacity.
- Cardiac output is the total blood volume pumped per minute, calculated by multiplying stroke volume and heart rate. Higher cardiac output increases oxygen delivery to muscles, enabling sustained aerobic activity.
- Both adaptations result from aerobic training, allowing athletes to maintain higher exercise intensities for longer periods whilst reducing heart rate at submaximal workloads.
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- Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped from the heart per beat. Increased stroke volume delivers more oxygen-rich blood to working muscles during each heartbeat, improving aerobic capacity.
- Cardiac output is the total blood volume pumped per minute, calculated by multiplying stroke volume and heart rate. Higher cardiac output increases oxygen delivery to muscles, enabling sustained aerobic activity.
- Both adaptations result from aerobic training, allowing athletes to maintain higher exercise intensities for longer periods whilst reducing heart rate at submaximal workloads.