Responses to Exercise-Maintaining Homeostasis

RESPONSES TO EXERCISE - MAINTAINING HOMEOSTASIS

Although entire textbooks are devoted to exercise physiology, we will discuss it only briefly here as an example of the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis.

Engaging in moderate or strenuous exercise is a phys-iological stress situation, a change that the body must cope with and still maintain a normal internal envi-ronment, that is, homeostasis.

Some of the body’s responses to exercise are dia-grammed in Fig. 7–6; notice how they are related to cell respiration. As you can see, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems make essential contributions to exercise. The integumentary system also has a role, since it eliminates excess body heat. Although not shown, the nervous system is also directly involved, as we have seen. The brain generates the impulses for muscle contraction, coordinates those contractions, and regulates heart rate, breathing rate, and the diam-eter of blood vessels. The next time you run up a flight of stairs, hurry to catch a bus, or just go dancing, you might reflect a moment on all of the things that are actually happening to your body . . . after you catch your breath.

Figure 7–6. Responses of the body during exercise. 

QUESTION: Name all the organ systems depicted here.