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Core 2: Factors affecting performance

How does the body respond to aerobic training?

Resting heart rate

Resting heart rate is the minimum number of beats required of the heart to maintain body function at rest.

Resting heart rate will fall as a result of aerobic fitness. This is due largely to an increase in stroke volume. An increased stroke volume means that for every heart beat an athlete will be able to pump more blood from the heart to the working muscles. This means that the heart does not have to work as hard to provide the oxygen required. Trained athletes generally have a lower resting heart rate than untrained individuals.

How does resting heart rate change as a result of training?

The graph below shows the effect of exercise on heart rate (HR) for a trained and an untrained individual. Both individuals were required to do exactly the same amount of work and their heart rate responses are shown. The graph shows heart rate response over time i.e. beats per minute (bpm).

Student activity
What is the approximate difference in the heart rate of the trained and untrained athlete at: 1 minute before exercise commences (-1) 9 minutes into exercise 3 minutes after exercise is completed (+3)? What does this graph tell us about the effect of training on heart rate (HR)? Give an explanation for this. How does heart rate (HR) affect performance? Check your answers here.

Student activity

What is the approximate difference in the heart rate of the trained and untrained athlete at:
- 1 minute before exercise commences (-1)
- 9 minutes into exercise
- 3 minutes after exercise is completed (+3)?
What does this graph tell us about the effect of training on heart rate (HR)? Give an explanation for this.
How does heart rate (HR) affect performance?

Check your answers here.

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