Your cart is currently empty!
VCE Physical Education Unit 1 AOS 2
The System at Rest: Anatomy and Function
This section explores the fundamental structures of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. These two systems work in perfect harmony to deliver oxygen to your cells and remove waste products. Click on the components below to learn more about their specific roles.
Cardiovascular System
The body’s delivery network, responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients while removing waste.
Select a component to learn about it.
Respiratory System
The gateway for oxygen, facilitating gas exchange between the air we breathe and our blood.
Select a component to learn about it.
The System in Motion: Acute Responses
When you start exercising, your body’s demand for energy skyrockets. This section explores the immediate physiological changes the cardiorespiratory system makes to meet this demand. The charts below illustrate how key variables change with exercise intensity and time.
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Responses vs. Intensity
Oxygen Uptake Dynamics
This chart visualizes the relationship between the body’s oxygen demand and its actual oxygen consumption during and after an exercise session.
Enhancing Performance
Athletes constantly seek ways to improve performance. This section provides a critical evaluation of permitted (legal) and prohibited (illegal) methods used to enhance the cardiorespiratory system. Click on each card to weigh the physiological benefits against the potential harms and ethical issues.
Altitude Training (Legal)
Mechanism:
Exposure to a hypoxic (low oxygen) environment stimulates natural production of EPO and red blood cells.
Harms & Ethical Issues
Potential Harms:
- Altitude sickness, dehydration, immune suppression.
- Difficulty maintaining training intensity.
Ethical Considerations:
Generally fair, but raises issues of equity and access due to high costs.
Blood Doping / EPO (Illegal)
Mechanism:
Artificially increasing red blood cell count by re-infusing stored blood or injecting synthetic Erythropoietin (EPO).
Harms & Ethical Issues
Potential Harms:
- Increased blood viscosity (thickness), massive strain on the heart.
- High risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke.
Ethical Considerations:
Prohibited by WADA. Considered cheating, undermines the spirit of sport, and creates an unfair advantage.
Integrated Application & Movement Analysis
True understanding requires connecting the cardiorespiratory system (AOS 2) to the musculoskeletal system (AOS 1). This section analyses a soccer kick, integrating biomechanical principles with the physiological demands on muscle fibres and energy systems.
Case Study: The Soccer Kick
1. Biomechanics: Summation of Momentum
To maximize foot velocity, the kick uses a kinetic chain. Momentum starts in the large, proximal segments (hips, trunk) and is sequentially transferred to the smaller, faster, distal segments (thigh, leg, foot), creating a “whip-like” effect.
2. Physiology: Muscular Action & Fibre Types
The propulsive phase involves a powerful concentric contraction of the quadriceps and hip flexors. This explosive action is powered by recruiting fast-twitch (Type IIa and IIx) muscle fibres, which are specialized for high-force, short-duration activities.
3. Cardiorespiratory Link: The Engine for Recovery
While a single kick is anaerobic (ATP-PC system), success in a 90-minute game depends on the cardiorespiratory system. Its key role is facilitating rapid recovery. A high VO2 max allows a player to quickly repay the oxygen debt (EPOC) from sprints and kicks. This replenishes anaerobic energy stores faster, enabling repeated high-intensity efforts throughout the match.
