UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

EXERCISE BIOLOGY MAJOR in NPB

EXB 10
Lecture 15:

Exercise and Fitness: Principles and Practice

James D. Shaffrath, MD

Supplying Muscle for the Long Run; Aerobic Adaptations to Endurance Training

Transition from Prior Lectures

We have seen that skeletal muscle shows a tremendous plasticity in adapting itself to the specific kinds of contractions
demanded by each form of exercise (You get what you play for). Todays lecture examines the adaptations to
endurance, or aerobic training. These occur both within muscle cells, and in the heart and blood vessels (despite our
subjective impressions, the lung is not limiting, nor does it adapt to, endurance training).

VO2 = Cardiac Output x (arterio - Venous)O2

[VO2 = Qc x (a-V)O2 ]

I.

The Oxygen Transport System

A. A Series of Linked Organs:
Muscles
Heart
Lungs
1. Oxygen Transport begins in the muscle cell, with the gradient created as mitochondria remove O2
2. Mitochondria, the Organelle of Oxygen-Based ATP Re-synthesis
B. The Heart of the Matter: Blood Circulates (Re-Creation of Harvey's 350 year old experiment, 1649)
Modern view of the cardiovascular system: two sequential circulations, linked by the muscle that never
rests (the heart). Exchange of gases & molecules occurs only in capillaries. The Pulmonary circulation
refreshes the blood: oxygen moves in, carbon dioxide moves out. In the Systemic circulation, oxygen
moves into the organs and tissues, while carbon dioxide (& heat) move into the blood, to be carried back
to the lung (& skin) for excretion, et cetra

II.

Single Bouts of Aerobic Exercise: Stresses, Responses, and the Triggers for Adaptation
A. Training Stimulus: F.I.T. Factors. Intensity & Duration are inversely related (like resistance Tx)
Frequency:
Intensity:
Time (duration):
Type:

3 to 5 days per week

65-90 % of HRmax [220 _ (Your Age) estimates HRmax ]
20 to 60 (or more) minutes per session
Activities using large muscle groups (and that elevate heart rate, breathing, and sweating)

B. Beyond ~60-70% of HRmax, small increases in intensity may result in large drops in sustainability
1. due to recruitment of fast glycolytic fibers, which fatigue rapidly (within 2-4 minutes)
2. recruitment of glycolytic fibers is accompanied by lactate build-up & more rapid breathing
3. often called "anaerobic threshold" this phenomenon is NOT due to any failure in oxygen delivery.
C. Harbingers of Adaptation
1. during each exercise bout, a number of changes, both inside the muscle cell, as well as hormonal
changes in the blood stream "signal" the body to re-build and enhance its aerobic capacities during the
subsequent recovery period.
a. PGC 1 is an intracellular stimulus for "mitogenesis" (new mitochondria are formed)
i. Both AMP-Kinase and Ca++Calmodulin-Kinase increase PGC 1
b. New capillaries form in muscle (VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor)
c. Anti-Diuretic Hormone (AVP, arginine vasopressin) is secreted, causing plasma volume expansion
d. The heart expands, becoming a larger, more effective pump
III What Do I Get for my Sweat?: Endurance Adaptations
A. A long, healthy and vital life (due to brain:muscle:bone preservation, plus cancer & CVdz suppression)
B. Tissue-Level (muscle) Adaptations in Muscle Cells
1. increased number of mitochondria and increased enzymes of oxidative metabolism
2. lactate production, & aerobic energy production (so anaerobic threshold is delayed)
3. preferential use of fat as an energy source (so your limited glycogen supply lasts longer)
C. Enhanced Cardiovascular Function
1. a larger heart ('d stroke volume), 20% more plasma, increased capillarity in muscles