Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Aerobic Fitness
Objectives
 Distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic
exercises.
 Examine the benefits of cardiovascular
exercises.
 Identify different types of training methods,
and apply these methods to your training
routines.
 Learn to measure your heart rate.
Cardiovascular Endurance
 The ability of the lungs, heart, and blood
vessels to deliver adequate amounts of
oxygen to the cells to meet the demands
of prolonged physical activity.
 Cardio (Cardiovascular exercise) – Any
movement that gets your heart rate up
and increases blood circulation throughout
the body.
Basic Physiology
Breathing
Oxygen in air is taken up by the alveoli in the lungs
Blood passes through the alveoli
Oxygen is picked up by hemoglobin and transported to the
heart
Heart
pumps oxygenated blood through the circulatory system to
all organs & tissues in the body
The Heart
 The heart is a double pump – two separate
pumps that work side by side
 The right side pumps deoxygenated blood
to the lungs
 The left side pumps oxygenated blood to
the rest of the body
Blood Vessels
 There are three main groups of blood vessels.
 Arteries and arterioles- transport oxygenated
blood away from the heart.
 Capillaries – bring blood to the tissues where
oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
 Veins and venules – transport deoxygenated
blood back towards the heart.
Fit Individual
 During prolonged exercise, an individual with
a high level of cardiovascular endurance is
able to deliver the required amount of
oxygen to the tissues easily.
Unfit individual
 Has to work the cardiovascular system much
harder; the heart has to work at a higher rate,
less oxygen is delivered to the tissues, and
consequently, the individual fatigues faster.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
1. Aerobic Exercise
– energy required to perform
cardiorespiratory activities is
generated through aerobic (oxygenusing) metabolism
e.g. walking, aerobic dance,
cycling, etc.
2. Anaerobic exercise
- intensity is so high that oxygen
cannot be delivered and utilized to
produce energy and you begin to
produce lactic acid.
- can be carried out for only short
periods – 2-3 minutes.
Benefits of Aerobic Training
1. Higher maximal oxygen uptake
(VO2max)
increase in the amount of oxygen the
body is able to use during physical
activity
 allows someone to exercise longer &
more intensely before becoming
fatigued.

Benefits of Aerobic Training
2. Increase in oxygen-carrying capacity of
the blood

Red blood cell (hemoglobin) count
3. Increase in cardiac muscle strength


heart responds to training by increasing in
strength and size
stronger heart, more forceful contraction
which aids to eject more blood w/ each
beat (Stroke volume)
Benefits of Aerobic Training
4. Decrease in Resting Heart Rate

by 10 – 20 beats per minute (bpm) after
6-8 weeks of training

A reduction of 20 bpm saves the heart about
10,483,200 beats per year.
5. Lower heart rate at a given
workloads
Benefits of Aerobic Training
6. Increase in number of functional capillaries
- more gas exchange can take place
7. Faster recovery time
- Reduce DOMS by bringing more oxygen rich
blood to the muscles tissue for repair and
rebuilding.
8. Lower blood pressure & blood lipids
- reduces major risk factor for stroke & coronary
heart disease
- lower levels of fats (such as cholesterol and
triglycerides)
Benefits of Aerobic Training
9. Increased metabolism
- More intense cardio session = higher
metabolic rate
10. Improved hormonal profile
- Release “feel good” chemicals that will help
ease symptoms of depression (serotonin)
- Release hormones that regulate appetite
and fat accumulation (leptin & insulin)
How much cardio do I need?
 To lose fat: 3-5 times per week at 20-40
minutes per session depending on
intensity.
 To gain weight/muscles: No cardio at all,
or light cardio work twice a week for 20
minutes per session.
Intensity of Exercise
 Cardiorespiratory development occurs
when the heart is working between 60 and
85 percent of the maximal heart rate.
 Unfit individuals should use a 40 to 50
percent training intensities
Determining Intensity
1. Estimate Maximal Heart Rate (MHR)
•
MHR= 220 - age
2. Check Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
3. Calculate target heart rate zone to
determine training intensities (TI).
• 60-85% of MHR
Types of Cardiovascular
Training
 Low intensity, long duration cardio
 Intensity of around 40-60% of MHR
 Slow, easy, and long (over 40 minutes)
 Walking, cycling, jogging
 Good for fat loss, especially in very obese people
 Medium intensity, medium duration cardio
 70% of MHR
 20-40 minutes
 Characterized by heavy breathing
 Fat loss and increasing aerobic capacity
 High intensity, short duration cardio
 80-85% of MHR
 Very demanding, 5-20 minutes
Types of Cardiovascular
Training
 Aerobic Interval Training
 A period of moderate to high intensity aerobic work
 Then a period of rest or low intensity work
 Ex: 3 min. of running, then 1 minute of slow walking,
repeated 4 times.
 Anaerobic Interval Training
 HITT: High-intensity interval training
 Improved athletic condition and fat burning
 85-100% of your MHR
 High intensity anaerobic exercise, then medium intensity
exercise for recovery.
 Ex. 30-40 seconds of hard sprinting, then 15-20 seconds
of jogging.