Aorta
Aorta
// Structure & location
The aorta rises from the left ventricle, turns back and to the left in the aortic arch and then runs in front of the spine through the chest and diaphragm into the abdomen. At about the level of the navel it splits into the two iliac arteries. In adults its diameter is about the width of a thumb. Its wall is very thick and elastic.
// Function
According to OpenStax, the arterial system is a high-pressure system with thick vessel walls. The elastic aorta stretches with every heartbeat and then recoils, turning the pulsed pumping into a smoother blood flow. The vessels for the head and arms branch off the arch, those for the organs off the abdominal aorta.
// For training & sport
- During heavy lifting with breath-holding, blood pressure rises sharply for a short time, including in the aorta.
- Regular endurance and strength training keeps vessels more elastic, which is one reason it protects against cardiovascular disease.
// Good to know
A pathological widening of the aorta (aneurysm) often goes unnoticed for a long time. That's why many countries offer older men an ultrasound screening of the abdominal aorta.