Circuit

The circulatory system is the transport system that transports oxygen, sugar and many other substances around the body via the blood. The heart is the engine of the circulatory system. The heart is a muscle that is constantly working. When the heart contracts, blood is pumped out into the body. The blood is transported around the body via a network of blood vessels.

Red blood cells

Red blood cells are a type of cell found in the blood. It is the red blood cells that transport oxygen around the body. The number of red blood cells in the blood can vary. If you have a lot of red blood cells, it is easier to transport oxygen around the body than if you have few.

Pulse

Heart rate denotes how many times the heart beats per minute. A low heart rate means that blood is pumped out relatively few times a minute. This also means that the supply of oxygen and sugar to the individual cells is relatively low. A high heart rate, on the other hand, means that the oxygen and sugar supply to the individual cells is relatively high.

Fitness

During physical activity, the body’s energy expenditure is very high. The body’s cells therefore need a lot of oxygen to burn energy. People with a good fitness level are good at transporting oxygen around the body. Oxygen is used for respiration, which forms the energy molecule ATP from ADP. ADP molecules are “recharged” into ATP to a greater extent when there is more oxygen present. With a good level of fitness, you are therefore better able to produce ATP, which is used to activate muscles.

Blood sugar

Blood sugar is an expression of how much sugar there is in the blood. A high blood sugar level means that the concentration of sugar is high. That is, there is relatively much sugar per mL of blood.

Blood sugar rises when you eat a lot of carbohydrates. Blood sugar is generally high immediately after a meal and low for a long time after a meal.

Warm-up

The purpose of warm-up is to prevent injuries and to make the individual athlete ready, physically as well as mentally, in order to increase performance.

When you start to increase the activity level, the heart rate starts to increase as the oxygen demand is greater. You cannot perform optimally without warm-up, as the transport of oxygen is adapted to your physical activity level before warm-up. In addition, it is also an advantage to heat up, as many enzymes work better at a temperature slightly higher than 37 degrees.

After 15-20 min. most people have achieved a suitable muscle temperature and oxygen supply that increases performance. A good warm-up includes activities that increase the heart rate and activate relevant muscle groups, possibly in the form of strength or stretching exercises.

Borg scale

The Borg scale is a model that indicates the relationship between heart rate during exercise and the effect of exercise.

 

Figure 1. The Borg Scale. The scale shows different categories of exercise, depending on the intensity of the exercise.

The castle steps indicate your heart rate, i.e. heartbeats per minute in tens. This means that the resting heart rate, which is indicated at the 6th grade level, is about 60 beats per minute. At the 17th grade, the heart rate is 170 beats per minute.