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Home > PDHPE > Core 2 - Factors Affecting Performance > How does the body respond to aerobic training? > How does the body respond to aerobic training?

Cardiac output (Q) is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart each minute. It can be calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate (beats per minute). When a trained and untrained athlete are working at the same heart rate (beats per minute) the trained athlete will have a higher cardiac output than an untrained one. This is a direct result of a higher stroke volume in the trained athlete.

How does cardiac output change as a result of training?

The graph below shows the effect of exercise at different heart rate levels on cardiac output for a trained and an untrained individual. Heart rate is an indication of how much work is being done (i.e. the higher the heart rate indicated in beats per minute, the harder the work).

Student activity
What is the cardiac output of the trained and untrained athlete at 100bpm and 160bpm? Give your answer in litres per minute. What does this graph tell us about the effect of training on heart rate? Give an explanation for your answer. How does an increased cardiac output obtained through training affect performance? Check your answers here.

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