Cardiac Exercise Physiology

Concurrent aerobic and resistance training produces eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy with both thicker walls and larger chamber volume, yielding the most favorable stroke volume outcomes. Bradycardia at rest in elite aerobic athletes reflects cardiac efficiency and is not a pathological finding. The physiological goal of both aerobic and resistance training is to lower resting heart rate by increasing stroke volume, reducing cumulative myocardial fatigue. Resistance training causes non-pathological left ventricular hypertrophy by imposing a pressure overload on the left ventricle. Aerobic training causes non-pathological ventricular wall thinning and chamber enlargement; via the Frank-Starling mechanism this generates a higher stroke volume.