1.4 (and 3.4) Short-term (and long-term) effects of exercise Typeit

When exercise is routinely completed over a long period of time, notable changes occur to the body systems that benefit the health and performance of the individual.

Participation in different training methods can result in different long-term effects and benefits. For example, an individual participating in resistance training is likely to experience changes to their musculoskeletal system. The most noticeable is an increase in muscle mass, known as muscle . An increase in the size of muscles is often coupled with an increase in muscle , which enables the individual to lift heavier heights and work against a greater resistance. When an untrained individual begins resistance training, they usually experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and stiffness in the subsequent 24–48 hours. This emphasises the need for in order for adaptations to take place and the body to recover in time for the next training session.

Training methods that are focused on improving aerobic endurance, e.g. continuous training or circuit training, are also capable of benefiting the musculoskeletal system. The extended duration of these training types is likely to see an increase in muscular – improving the ability of the muscles to perform repeated contractions without fatigue.  Additionally, aerobic training methods also elicit adaptations to the cardiorespiratory system.

Just like any other muscle, the heart (the cardiac muscle) grows when it is worked hard. An increase in the size of the heart is known as cardiac . This increase in size improves the efficiency of the heart so that at rest it is able to pump the same volume of blood around the body per minute with fewer beats, i.e. the individual has a lower resting . This is known as 'bradycardia' when it falls below 60 bpm. This is due to an increase in the volume of blood ejected from the heart per beat (i.e. an increased resting ). These long-term effects of exercise are also present during exercise, when an increase in the volume of blood ejected from the heart per beat results in a greater volume per minute (i.e. an increased exercising ).

There is a greater efficiency of oxygen transport from the lung to the muscle following training. This is made possible by a greater density of capillaries, known as , surrounding the alveoli at the lung and the muscle cell. Another factor contributing to oxygen transport is an increase in the number of blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood. Due to a combination of these changes, there is a drop in resting blood as the muscular walls of veins and arteries become more elastic.

Long-term effects of exercise also occur within the respiratory system. These include:

• an increased  – the maximum volume of air that can enter the lungs
• a greater number of alveoli – the site of gaseous exchange in the lungs
• an increase in the strength of the respiratory muscles, i.e. the  and external intercostal muscles 

Other long-term training effects that are likely to go unnoticed yet are important for reducing the risk of injury are an increase in bone , as well as the strength of connective tissue such as ligaments and . 

All these adaptations to the cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal systems lead to a faster recovery following exercise and allow performers to train for longer and more intensely.