Physiological Effects of Exercise on Cardiopulmonary System

In exercise physiology, it is a long-held belief that cardiopulmonary fitness is the foundation of an individual's exercise capacity. Indeed, improved fitness and performance with training are in part the product of an increased capacity to supply exercising muscle with oxygen and nutrients owing to adaptations of the cardiorespiratory system. However, other significant changes in exercising muscle can result in a reduction of required cardiorespiratory effort at a given level of exercise. These adaptations are discussed in the following sections of this entry.