The topics discussed are:
the structure of the cardiovascular system in the human body and
how this system is important for sports performance.
The cardiovascular system composes the heart, blood, and blood vessels to transport blood.
THE HEART:
It is a muscular pump that rhythmically contracts to push blood throughout the body. The size of an adult heart is approximately the size of a fist and weighs 300 grams. Resting heart rate is between 70 to 80 bps. The heart is a hollow muscular organ with four chambers, a thin-walled atrium above and a thick-walled ventricle below. Arteries are blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood, and veins take the deoxygenated blood.
There is an exception; the pulmonary artery carries the deoxygenated blood, while the pulmonary vein carries the oxygenated blood. The heart rate is the rate at which the heart beats.
BLOOD:
- An average adult has 4 to 6 liters of blood.
- It is a unique life-sustaining fluid that supplies the body’s organs and cells with oxygen.
- Regulates the body temperature.
- Fights infections.
- It removes the waste.
- Plasma contains nutrients, glucose, hormones, clotting agents, salts, and enzymes.
There are three kinds of cells in the blood:
- Red blood cells: – they carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body
- White blood cells: – they help fight infection
- Platelets: – they help with clotting
FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD:
A. Transportation:
- Oxygen and nutrients to tissue
- Waste from tissue
- Hormones to organs and tissue
- Carries heat throughout the body
B. Regulation:
- Regulates Ph, salts.
- It controls the body temperature and water content.
C. Protection:
- Protects the body from excessive bleeding by clotting
- Immune cells help fight sickness and disease.
IMPORTANCE IN SPORTS PERFORMANCE:
The cardiovascular and respiratory systems join to form the cardiorespiratory system and are mainly responsible for providing the body with adequate nutrients and oxygen. It also helps in removing carbon dioxide from the cells.
If a player has poor cardiovascular health, his body would not be able to manage the transport of blood, which does functions like transport of nutrients, maintenance of pH, removing heat and controlling the internal temperature of the body, and so many more.
Having proper cardiovascular health will not only ensure the one mentioned above but also
- Lowers blood pressure,
- Lowers cholesterol levels,
- Reduction in heart rate by returning it to normal, post physical activity, and
- Increase the flow of oxygen, nutrients, and blood to working muscles and
- Removes toxic waste.