ERGOMETERS

• A device that allows the intensity of exercise to be

controlled
(standardized) & measured
• Ergo = work
• Meter= measurement
•Treadmills : ergo meter of choice for most researchers
clinicians.
•In this a motor & pulley system drives a large belt on
which a subject can either walk or run
•Disadvantages:
• Expensive
• require electric power
• not portable
• Accurate measurement with the help of
• stethtoscope is difficult
• Cycle ergo meters
• primary device used extensively in both
research & clinical settings
•Designed to allow subjects to pedal either in he
normal upright position or in reclining or
semireclining position.
• Advantages :
• the upper body can remain relatively
stable , allowing for more accurate determination
of blood pressure
•Exercise intensity does not depend on subjects
body weight.

•Disadvantages :
• The leg muscle will likely fatigue early
during exercise preventing a subject from
attaining his or her peak exercise intensity.
•
•In addition peak (maximal) values for some
physiological variables obtained on a cycle ergometer
are frequently less as compared to maximal values
obtained on a treadmill.
Other ergometers.
used in specific sports or events .For e.g. arm
ergometers may be used to test athletes or non
athletes who use primarily their arms & shoulders in
physical activity.
Rowing ergometers was devised to test competitive
rowers.
ADAPTATION TO AEROBIC & ANAEROBIC
TRAINING
• Exercise causes CVS & respiratory adjustment in
order to meet the oxygen & energy demand of the
active muscles.

• Aerobic training OR Cardiorespiratory

endurance:
• Improves:
 cardiac function
 Peripheral blood flow
 Enhance capacity of muscle fiber to generate
more ATP
 ANAEROBIC TRAINING
• Improves
 Anaerobic metabolism
 Short term high intensity exercise capacity
 Tolerance for acid base disbalance.

 Both aerobic & anaerobic training induces a variety of

adaptations that benefit exercise & sports
performance.
 ADAPTATION TO AEROBIC TRAINING
• This includes
 cardiovascular adaptation
 Respiratory adaptation
 Muscular adaptation.
 Cardiovascular adaptation to training
A) Heart size
• Increase in chamber size (cardiac Hypertrophy)
• Left ventricle undergoes greater adaptation in
response to endurance training.
• Increase after load causes increase in ventricular
size?
• Results in increase filling & increase stroke
volume output

B) Stroke Volume:
• Increases due to;
• Increase end diastolic volume
• Decrease TPR.
SUBJECTS SV rest (ml/beat) SVmax
(ml/min)

 Untrained 50-70
90-110

 Trained 70-90
110-150

 Highly trained 90-110 150-

220+
• HEART RATE:
• Resting heart rate decreases as a result of
endurance training (more than 10 beats /min).
• In untrained persons bradycardia is due to certain
cardiovascular dysfunction
• It is important to differentiate between exercise
induced bradycardia than due to certain disease.
 • INTERACTION BETWEEN HEART RATE &
STROKE VOLUME (?):
• HR + SV = CARDIAC OUT PUT
• In endurance training heart rate is decreased &
stroke volume is increased so as to provide
maximum cardiac output

• CARDIAC OUTPUT
• Increases in response to aerobic training.
• Increase in cardiac output is due to increase in
stroke volume
• Maximal cardiac out ranges between 14-20 L/min
in untrained,
• 25-35 L/min in trained &
 BLOOD FLOW

• Active muscles need more O2 & fuel than non

active muscle
• Endurance training or aerobic exercises results in
increased blood flow to active muscles.
• Factors causes increase in blood flow to the
muscle are:
a) Formation of new capillaries
b) Redistribution of blood flow from non-active
tissues
c) Increase in total blood volume
 BLOOD PRESSURE
• Exercise results in decrease in blood pressure in
mild to moderate hypertensive persons
• Reason UNKNOWN?
• resistance exercises causes transient increase in
both systolic and diastolic blood pressure , but
• At sum-maximal exercise intensity , blood pressure
is decreased
• Resting blood pressures are normal
• Studies have shown that resistance cause a
decrease in systolic blood pressure
 BLOOD VOLUME
• Endurance training increases blood (plasma &
RBCs) volume.
• Increase in plasma volume is due to:
• Increase in plasma albumin
• Incraese protein synthesis
• Increased RBC count.
• But increase plasma volume is typically high
 Respiratory adaptation.
• Endurance training will be altered if respiratory
system will be affected
• Pulmonary ventilation is increased.
• Pulmonary diffusing capacity is also increased
 Pulmonary ventilation
• Pulmonary ventilation is increased
• 2 reasons are responsible.
1) Increased tidal volume
2) Increased respiratory frequency.
 Pulmonary diffusion
• Or gaseous exchange in alveoli.
• Increased in endurance training (esp. in upper
regions of the lungs).
• This increase is due to increased blood flow &
ventilation during exercise .
 Arterial venous oxygen difference
• Increases during exercise.
• i.e. venous blood returning to the heart contains
less oxygen as compared to untrained person
• Reflecting greater oxygen extraction by active
tissue & more active blood flow to the same active
tissue.
 ADAPTATION IN MUSCLES
• Repeated excitation & contraction stimulates
changes in their structure & function.
• Low to moderate intensity exercises rely on type I
(slow twitch ) muscle fibers
• In response to exercise , type I fibers becomes
larger.
CAPILLARY SUPPLY
• Increased capillary network in the active muscle
occurs
• Allows greater exchange of gases, nutrients, waste
products between blood & contracting muscles.
• Increased capillary network results in increased
VO2 max.
 • MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION
• Aerobic training increased size& number of
mitochondria.
• Provides increased capacity of Oxidative
metabolism.
• Aerobic training causes glycogen sparing. i.e.
slower rate of utilization of muscle glycogen an
use fat as a source of energy.
• Improves the ability to sustain the high intensity
exercises
MYOGLOBIN CONTENT
• Increases that supply O2 from cell membrane to
mitochondria.
•
 LACTATE THRESHOLD
• Marker closely associated with endurance
performance.
• The higher the threshold the better is the aerobic
performance.

WHAT LIMITS AEROBIC POWER OR

ENDURANCE TRAINING
• Utilization theory (1):
• Inability of mitochondria to consume oxygen (VO2
max) beyond certain limit.
• Lack of enzymes in mitochondria
• (2) Theory:
• Central & peripheral cardiovascular factors limit
• According to second theory improvement in VO2 is
due to

I. increased blood volume

II. Increased cardiac output
III. Better perfusion to skeletal muscles.
 FACTORS AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE
TO AEROBIC TTRAINING
• HERIDITARY:
• Ability to increase VO2 max is genetically limited
• Major determinant of aerobic power accounting
for as much as 25 – 50% of the variations in VO2
MAX among individuals
• SEX: female has low VO2 max values as compared
to males
 ADAPTATION TO AN-AEROBIC TRAINING
• Short burst of activities use energy from:
• Phospahgen system &
• Glycolysis

• Recruitment of type II muscle fibers

• Recruitment of type occurs but to a lesser extent
• Short burst of activities such as sprinting & weight
lifting rely on phosphagen system.
• An aerobic training increases the activity of
glycolytic enzymes, such as phosphorylase,
phosphofructokinase (PFK) & lactic
dehydrogenase (LDH)
• Training that involves 6s duration increases the
activity of phosphagen system ,
• Whereas the activity that involves 30 second
duration increases the activity of glycolytic
enzymes.
•