Stroke Volume

The volume of blood ejected from the left ventricle with each beat of the heart is known as stroke volume. A person’s stroke volume is primarily affected by the rate blood is returned to the heart from venous circulation. A sedentary individual will usually have a stroke volume of approximately 70ml of blood per contraction of the heart. This could increase to 100ml in highly trained people.

Changes to Stroke Volume during Exercise
When performing aerobic exercise the size of the left ventricle will increase during the filling stage (diastole). This is known as increased Left Ventricle End Diastolic Volume (LVEDV). As a result, more blood is pumped by the heart rate with each beat during exercise and rest.

Stroke Volume
Stroke volume will increase approximately twice its resting level when exercising. Unlike the heart rate, stroke volume does not increase linearly with work rate and oxygen consumption.