How Cardio Changes Our Heart, and the Superpowers We Gain from Training
Have you ever wondered why professional runners can run for hours at an incredible speed and still breathe calmly? It is not just about strong legs. The main secret is hidden inside — it is a fantastic adaptation of our cardiovascular system. This is what I am currently studying at the British sports academy.
When we regularly do cardio, our body undergoes amazing changes. Let’s look under the hood of our organism and break down the 4 main superpowers that endurance gives us.
Superpower No. 1
The heart turns into a powerful pump, stroke volume increases
In medicine, this is called Stroke Volume — the amount of blood the heart pushes out in a single beat.
- The heart is a muscle. From regular loads, its main working chamber, namely the left ventricle, increases in size and becomes more elastic. Now, during rest, the heart can accommodate much more fresh blood.
- The enlarged chamber contracts with much greater force. Instead of pumping blood in small portions, the heart makes one powerful, efficient ejection.
Superpower No. 2
An astronaut’s pulse or Economy mode at rest
A normal pulse for an ordinary person at rest is from 60 to 100 beats per minute. But for trained athletes, everything is different.
- Since in one beat an athlete’s heart pumps a huge portion of blood, there is simply no point for it to beat frequently! Their resting pulse can drop below 60 beats, and in super-athletes — even below 40.
- If an untrained person will be gasping for breath for another ten minutes after running for a bus, the heart of a fitness lady or an athlete returns to normal almost instantly. The body learns to instantly calm the nervous system after stress.
Superpower No. 3
Crazy volume of fuel
Cardiac output (minute volume of blood circulation) is the total amount of blood your heart is able to drive through the body in 60 seconds.
Here is how drastically the numbers differ during sports:
- An untrained person squeezes out a maximum of 15–20 litres of blood per minute.
- An average fitness level already delivers 20–25 litres.
- A professional elite athlete pumps a cosmic up to 40 litres of blood per minute!
Superpower No. 4
More red superheroes
Haemoglobin is a special pigment in our red blood cells (erythrocytes) that works as a courier; it takes oxygen in the lungs and carries it throughout the body.
- Under the influence of aerobic training, the level of haemoglobin in the blood can grow by as much as 20%!
- There becomes more blood, because to accommodate all these new useful cells, the body increases the total volume of plasma and blood in the body. Now, during any workout, your muscles, skin and brain receive a truly royal portion of oxygen.
What does this mean for us?
Every minute you spend on a stationary bike, a treadmill, or skipping rope is not just calories burned. It is an investment in your heart. By training, you make it bigger, stronger and more resilient.
As a result, you get less tired at work, have tons of energy and give your heart long years of healthy life.
Take care of your main motor, and it will reciprocate!