The structure of cardiovascular system in human body, and the importance of this system for sport performance
Cardiovascular system is composed of heart, blood and blood vessels to transport blood.
THE HEART :
It is a muscular pump that rhythmically contracts to push blood throughout the body. Size of the adult heart is approximately the size of fist and weighs 300 grams. Resting heart rate is between 70 to 80 bps. Heart is a hollow muscular organ with four chambers thin walled atrium above and thick walled ventricle below. Blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood are called ‘arteries’ and the blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood are called ‘veins’. The only exception being pulmonary artery which carries deoxygenated blood and pulmonary vein which carries oxygenated blood. Rate at which heart beats is referred to as ‘heart rate’
BLOOD:
Average adult has 4 to 6 liters of blood.
Unique life sustaining fluid that supplies body’s organs and cells with oxygen.
Regulate body temperature.
Fight infections.
Remove waste.
Plasma contains nutrients, glucose, hormones, clotting agents ,salts, enzymes.
There are three kinds of cells in the blood :
- RED BLOOD CELLS – carry oxygen from lungs throughout body
- WHITE BLOOD CELLS – helps fight infection
- PLATELETS- helps with clotting
FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD:
- Transportation:
- Oxygen and nutrients to tissue
- Waste from tissue
- Hormones to organs and tissue
- Carries heat throughout body
- Regulation :
- Regulates Ph, salts.
- Regulates body temperature, water content.
- Protection :
- Protects body from excessive bleeding by clotting
- Immune cells to help fight sickness and disease.
IMPORTANCE IN SPORTS PERFORMANCE :
The cardiovascular system and respiratory system together form the cardiorespiratory system and is mainly responsible for providing body with adequate nutrients and oxygen and also removing carbon di oxide from cells in the body. If a player has poor cardio vascular health his body would not be able to manage the transport of blood which does major functions like transport of nutrients, maintenance of pH, removes heat and manages internal temperature of body and so many more.
Having proper cardiovascular health will not do the one mentioned above but lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol levels, reduction in heart rate returning to normal post physical activity, and greater flow of oxygen, nutrients and blood to working muscles and removal of toxic waste.