Cardiac output is calculated as the product of which two factors?

Cardiac output is an essential measurement that indicates the amount of blood the heart pumps in a minute, which is crucial for assessing overall cardiovascular health. It is calculated by multiplying two key factors: heart rate and stroke volume.

Heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats in one minute, while stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected from the heart with each beat. By multiplying these two factors together, one can determine the total volume of blood that circulates through the body within a minute, thereby providing insight into the efficiency of the heart and circulatory system.

Understanding the relationship between these two factors is vital in various contexts, such as exercise physiology, where an increase in heart rate and/or stroke volume is typically necessary to meet the increased oxygen demand of the muscles during physical activity. This connection highlights how the heart adapts to varying demands, further emphasizing the critical role of both heart rate and stroke volume in maintaining adequate cardiac output.