Musculoskeletal responses to acute exercise

In this weeks lesson we looked at the musculoskeletal system responses to acute exercise.

The musculoskeletal system is made up of muscles, bones, joints, tendons and ligaments.

There are 4 acute responses to this system when we exercise, these are:

1. Increased blood supply
2. Increased pliability
3. Increased range of movement
4. Muscle fibre micro tears

1. Increased blood supply:

When we exercise vasodilation happens in the blood vessels that supply our muscles. This is a positive response to exercise and occurs for 2 reasons. The first is to transport more oxygen and nutrients to the muscle cells, and the second is to take away heat from the muscle cells.

When we exercise we need more oxygen and nutrients - such as carbohydrates and fat - in order to make ATP in the mitochondria of the muscles. The increased blood supply helps us to cope with this demand.

Also, when we exercise the friction from muscle contraction causes heat to build up in the muscle cells. We need to try and remove this heat, as it has a detrimental effect on our cells (they can cook, or the enzymes stop working properly). The blood is responsible for removing this heat, and taking it to the skin (the blood vessels at the surface of the skin vasodilate), where it is removed through the process of sweating.