What is Cardiovascular Endurance?

Table of contents

• What is cardiovascular endurance?

• Importance of cardiovascular endurance 

• How is cardiovascular endurance measured? 

• Benefits of high cardiovascular endurance 

• How to improve cardiovascular endurance

• FAQ on Cardiovascular Endurance

• Take-Home Points

Introduction 

You've probably heard your doctor discuss a variety of factors that can affect your cardiovascular (heart)  health, leaving you to wonder what it actually entails ? So let's first tell you about cardiovascular  health. Heart and blood vessel health are referred to as cardiovascular health. The benefits of regular physical activity for cardiovascular health are generally acknowledged. Regular exercise is strongly linked to a lower risk of acquiring cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular death. 

Did you know there is a key indication that may be important to determining the state of your heart? According to the American Heart Association, factors like smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol may not have as much of an impact on your health as your level of cardiovascular fitness. 

Your cardiovascular endurance can reveal a lot about your health and the likelihood of certain health outcomes. Simply defined, cardiovascular endurance gauges how efficiently your body transfers oxygen to your muscles and organs throughout extended exertion. In this article, we'll tell you more about cardiovascular endurance and how you can increase it. 

What is cardiovascular endurance? 

Cardiovascular endurance gauges the body's ability to function throughout an extended duration of activity. A person with a high level of cardiovascular endurance can perform high-intensity activities for a lengthy amount of time without becoming exhausted.

A person's cardiovascular endurance is a sign of their general physical health. Cardiovascular endurance tests keep track of how well the heart, lungs, and muscles function when engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise. A person may be able to continue engaging in physical activity for longer by improving their cardiovascular endurance. This improves oxygen uptake in the heart and lungs.

A person's lungs fill up with air as they inhale, and some of the oxygen it contains enters the bloodstream. The heart then pumps this oxygen-rich blood across the body to the tissues and organs that require it. For the muscles to function correctly during prolonged or high-intensity exercise, they need a sufficient supply of oxygen and other nutrients. Lack of nutrients causes waste products to build up in the muscles, which leads to weariness.

The degree of cardiorespiratory endurance a person possesses can have a direct impact on their physical performance

Cardiovascular endurance is often referred to as cardiovascular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiorespiratory endurance.

Importance of cardiovascular endurance

Cardiovascular endurance is a measure of a person's level of physical fitness and aerobic health. An individual may often engage in high-intensity exercise for a longer period of time if they have a high cardiorespiratory endurance.

People who are wanting to lose weight might wish to concentrate on improving their cardiorespiratory endurance because engaging in more strenuous aerobic exercises might increase calorie consumption.

According to a 2017 study, those with better cardiorespiratory endurance are less likely than those with lower cardiorespiratory endurance to experience high blood pressure.

In another study conducted in 2015, researchers discovered a link between multitasking ability and cardiorespiratory endurance in adults ages 59 to 80.

Similarly a 2015 study found that increasing cardiorespiratory endurance may lower the risk of heart disease and all-cause death.

How is cardiovascular endurance measured?

Maximal aerobic power (VO2max), the highest rate at which a person is able to consume oxygen during prolonged, exhausting activity, is the gold standard indicator of cardiorespiratory endurance. It is also known as Maximum  Oxygen Uptake.  

Another test that is used to measure cardiovascular endurance is Metabolic equivalents (METs). Metabolic equivalents is the proportion of energy used up during physical activity to energy used up while at rest. Measuring how much oxygen a person's body needs at rest is necessary to determine that person's MET.

Benefits of high cardiovascular endurance 

Regular exercising and having a healthy lifestyle can help you to increase your cardiovascular endurance. You'll get stronger and more fit as you develop your cardiovascular endurance through aerobic activity. Furthermore, you'll also reap the following benefits:

1. Lowered risk of disease - high cardiovascular endurance decreases the risk of following diseases: 

• Heart disease

• High blood pressure

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes

• Stroke

2. Improved strength and stamina

3. Control weight 

4. Stronger bones

5. Relief tension and anxiety 

How to improve cardiovascular endurance?

Regular exercise can help people increase their capacity for cardiorespiratory endurance.

According to a 2019 study, persons who were 40 to 65 years old and were not previously physically active improved their cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength through resistance training, endurance training, and high-intensity interval training.

Here are some aerobic exercises that you should do to increase your cardiovascular endurance. These exercises would not just increase your cardiovascular endurance but also help to lose weight, strengthen your bones and stay healthy.  Try doing the following exercises for a minimum of 20 minutes everyday.

Exercises to increase your cardiovascular endurance

1. Jumping jacks (sets of 10-15 repetitions)

2. Burpees (sets of 10-15 repetitions)

3. Running planks (sets of 10-15 repetitions)

4. Running 

5. Zumba

6. Jump rope

7. Swimming

8. Playing sports like basketball or football 

9. Start climbing (choose stairs over elevators)

10. Jogging 

11. Walking

12. Hiking

13. Rowing

Take-Home Points

A measure of cardiovascular endurance is the capacity of the heart, lungs, and muscles during moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Cardiovascular endurance can be improved by engaging in frequent physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise can enhance the body's ability to circulate and utilize oxygen, as well as heart and lung health.

References

• Longitudinal patterns of cardiorespiratory fitness predict the development of hypertension among men and women 

• Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Coronary Heart Disease in Asymptomatic Men

• Brain activation during dual-task processing is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and performance in older adults

• Changes in Physical Fitness After 12 Weeks of Structured Concurrent Exercise Training, High Intensity Interval Training, or Whole-Body Electromyostimulation Training in Sedentary Middle-Aged Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• 5 Health-Related Fitness Measures for Youth: Cardiorespiratory Endurance