Sport

George Loxdale 12PL

Cardiac control centre

The Cardiac Control Centre (CCC) is located in the

brain, and controls the impulses created in the
heart by the Synal Arial node (SA node) as well as
the impulses in the Atrioventricular node (AV
node). The 'CCC' therefore controls systole in the
atria and ventricles, and consequently heart rate is
heightened or reduced based on the commands
the Cardiac Control Centre gives out.
Our cardiovascular system is made up of the heart,
blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and
blood which together provide the tissues and cells
with the essentials for life, oxygen and nutrients.

Here is a quick outline of how our cardiovascular

system operates, taken from (www.bupa.co.uk/)
‘’Oxygen makes up about a fifth of the
atmosphere. You breathe air through your mouth
and nose and it travels to your lungs. Oxygen from
the air is absorbed into your bloodstream through
your lungs. Your heart then pumps oxygen-rich
('oxygenated') blood through a network of blood
vessels – the arteries – to tissues including your
organs, muscles and nerves, all around your body.
When blood reaches the capillaries in your tissues
it releases oxygen, which cells use to make energy.
These cells release waste products, such as carbon
dioxide and water, which your blood absorbs and
carries away. The used (or 'deoxygenated') blood
then travels along your veins and back towards
your heart. Your heart pumps the deoxygenated
blood back to your lungs, where it absorbs fresh
oxygen, and the cycle starts again.’’
The Heart

The heart is the organ that supplies blood and

oxygen to all parts of the body. Our heart is an
organ located in the thoracic cavity. It lies just
underneath the sternum and between the lungs
just posterior to the breastbone, between the lungs
and superior to the diaphragm. In adults it is about
the size of a clenched fist although trained elite
athletes often experience cardiac hypertrophy,
which is an enlargement of the heart. Weighing on
average about 10.5 ounces.

The heart consists of three tissue layers:

-Endocardium
-Myocardium
-Pericardium

The Endocardium is the innermost layer, a inner

serous membrane consisting of flattened
epithelium which lines the hearts chambers and is
bathed in blood. Its function being to prevent
friction between the heart muscle and flowing
blood.

The Myocardium is the thick middle layer of the

heart, forming the largest part of the heart wall. Its
cells are unique in that they physically resemble
skeletal muscle but have electrical properties.
These cells also contain specialized structures that
help to rapidly conduct electrical impulses from
one muscle cell to another, enabling the heart to
contract.

The Pericardium is a protective sac surrounding

the heart, its outer, double layered bag contains a
thin film of fluid which consists of plasma minus
fibrinogen ( a blood protein used in the clotting
mechanism) Its job helps to reduce friction-likewise
to the Endocardium and maintain the hearts shape.
(from the btec sport level 3 book)

Blood vessels

As the heart contracts, blood flows around the

body in a complex network of vessels. Around
96,000 km of arteries, arterioles, capillaries,
venules and veins maintain the blood’s circulation
throughout the body. The structure of these
different vessels within the cardiovascular system
is determined by their different functions and the
pressure of the blood within them.

Blood flowing through the arteries appears bright

red, due to its oxygenation. As it moves through
the capillaries it drops off oxygen and picks up
carbon dioxide. By the time it reaches the veins it
is much bluer.

Arteries

Arteries carry blood away from the heart, and with

the exception of the pulmonary artery they carry
oxygenated blood. They have two major
properties: elasticity and contractility. They have
thick muscular walls to carry blood at high speeds
under high pressure. When the heart ejects blood
into the large arteries, the arteries expand to
accommodate the extra blood. They do not require
valves as the pressure within them remains high at
all times, except at the point where pulmonary
artery leaves the heart.

The smooth muscle surrounding the arteries

enables their diameter to be decreased and
increased as required. Pressure in relation to
changes in blood flow. The arteries are largely
deep, except where they can be felt at a pulse
point. These vessels branch into smaller arterioles
that ultimately deliver blood to the capillaries.
Arterioles

Arterioles have thinner walls than arteries. They

control blood distribution by changing their
diameter. This mechanism facilitates adjustment of
blood flow to the capillaries in response to differing
demands for oxygen. During exercise, muscles
require an increased blood flow in order to get
extra oxygen. To accommodate this, the diameter
of arterioles leading to the muscles dilates. Other
areas, like the gut, have their blood flow
temporally reduced to compensate for this, and the
diameter of their arterioles is decreased. Arterioles
are essentially responsible for controlling blood
flow to the capillaries.

Capillaries

Capillaries form an extensive network that

connects arteries and veins by uniting arterioles
and venules. They are the smallest of all blood
vessels, narrow and very thin. They form an
essential part of the vascular system as they bathe
the tissues of the body with blood and allow the
diffusion of oxygen and nutrients required by the
body’s cells. Capillaries that surround muscles
ensure they get the oxygen and nutrients they
require to produce energy. The walls of capillaries
in muscle may be increased through frequent and
appropriate exercise. The pressure of blood within
the capillaries is higher than that in veins, but less
than in the arteries.

Veins
Veins facilitate venous return- the return of
deoxygenated blood to the heart. They have
thinner walls than arteries and a relatively large
diameter. By the time blood reaches the veins, it is
flowing slowly and under low pressure. Contracting
muscles push the thin walls of the veins inwards to
help squeeze the blood back towards the heart. As
muscle contractions are intermittent, there are a
number of pocket valves in the veins that assist in
preventing any backflow when the muscles relax.
Veins are mainly close to the surface and can be
seen under the skin. They branch into smaller
vessels called venules, which extend to the
capillary network.
The blood

The cardiac cycle refers to the process of cardiac

contraction and blood transportation through the
heart.’’(www.wiki.com) as mentioned before, the
heart can be viewed as two separate pumps to
serve its dual purpose, the cardiac cycle explains
the sequence of events that take place during one
complete heart beat, this includes the filling of the
heart with blood and then emptying into the
arterial system.

There are 4 stages to each heart beat;

1. Atrial diastole
2. ventricular diastole
3. Atrial systole
4. Ventricular systole.

Each stage depends upon whether the chambers of

the heart are filling with blood whilst the heart
relaxes (diastole) or whether they are emptying
which occurs while the heart contracts (systole).
Cardiac Cycle : Diastole Phase

During the diastole phase the heart relaxes for 0.5

seconds during which time a sequence of events
occur, the atria and ventricles are relaxed. Blood
flows into the right and left atria. The valves
located between the atria and ventricles are open,
allowing blood to flow through to the ventricles.

Cardiac Cycle: Systole Phase

During the systole phase, the ventricles contract

pumping blood into the arteries. The right ventricle
sends blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery
(which carries deoxygenated blood from the heart
to the lungs.) The left ventricle pumps blood to the
aorta (this distributes oxygenated blood to all parts
of the body and is known for being the largest
artery in the human body.) Here is a summary of
the events that occur during the systole phase:

• The ventricles contract.

• Atrioventricular valves close and semilunar
valves open.
• Blood flows to either the pulmonary artery or
aorta.

One cardiac cycle is completed when the heart fills

with blood and the blood is then pumped from the
heart. The audible sounds that can be heard from
the heart are made by the closing of the heart
valves. These sounds are referred to as the "lub-
dupp" sounds. The "lub" sound is made by the
contraction of the ventricles and the closing of the
atrioventricular valves. The "dupp" sound is made
by the semilunar valves closing.

• Cardiac Output.

‘’Cardiac output is the amount of blood that is

pumped out of the heart from one ventricle per
minute.’’(www.sport/co/expl.com)

Cardiac output = Stroke volume x

Heart rate.

Q S.V
H.R

Cardiac output is a function of heart rate and

stroke volume. The heart rate is simply the
number of heart beats per minute. The Stroke
volume is equal to the amount of blood ejected in
one beat. And has an average rate from the
number of heart beats per minute. Increasing
either heart rate or stroke volume increases
cardiac output. The below quote states why our
cardiac output is a key influence within our bodys,
taken from (www.btecsport.com)
Bibliography

(www.wikipedia.com)

(btecsport.com)

The BTEC sport level 3 book