Cardiorespiratory Response to Exercise

The cardiorespiratory response to exercise is the combined rise in heart output and breathing that delivers more oxygen to working muscle and clears the carbon dioxide it produces.

These responses start within seconds of exercise, and with regular training the heart, lungs and muscles adapt so that the same effort becomes easier.

For sport and exercise medicine (SEM) this physiology underpins exercise testing and the interpretation of fitness, helps separate the normal athlete's heart from disease, and frames the exertional symptoms that can signal a problem.