A competitive endurance athlete, such as a marathon runner or long-distance bicy

Question

A competitive endurance athlete, such as a marathon runner or long-distance bicyclist, can perform better if his/her cardiovascular system can deliver more oxygen to the skeletal muscles for making ATP by aerobic cellular respiration. Some means of accomplishing this include blood transfusion, injections of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), and living at high altitude. (The first two of these are illegal.) These are different ways of accomplishing the same kind of change in the blood. What change do they cause in an athlete's blood and how does that change result in improved oxygen delivery to the muscles?

Explanation / Answer

Iron is a critical mineral for performance in endurance athletes. hemoglobin, which is the protein used by red blood cells to deliver oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from and athlete’s exercising muscles.

There are many legal and illegal substances and methods that can be used to enhance the performance of the cardio-respiratory system. The perceived benefit must be considered against potential harms when deciding on a method to use.

Performance enhancement of the cardio-respiratory system:

Illegal Method

As said in the scenario:-

- Erythropoietin (EPO

- Beta blockers

- Blood doping

Legal Methods

-Aerobic training :- Aerobic training methods can include continuous, and long-interval training.

Each of these methods aims to improve the delivery of oxygen to working muscles as well as increase oxygen consumption (VO2 max) for energy production.

-Altitute training : to increase the production of red blood cells to allow for greater oxygen-carrying capacity.

Physiological changes like increased number of capillaries, natural release of Erythropoietin , increased cellular RBC production, increased number of mitrochondria and the amount og myoglobin, activity of oxidizing enzymes.

These changes contribute to improvements in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, increasing the delivery to and use of oxygen by the muscles.

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