Most of us think exercise is a way to build muscle, lose weight, or improve our heart health. But something amazing happens inside your body that often gets overlooked—exercise changes your blood.
These changes can greatly affect how you perform, recover, and feel during workouts. If you’re not aware of this, you might be missing out on a key part of your fitness journey.
Jonathan, a YouTuber from the Institute of Human Anatomy, dives deep into this topic in one of his videos. He explains how regular exercise leads to incredible changes in your blood, like growing new capillaries and producing more red blood cells, which can help your body work more efficiently.
In this blog post, we’re sharing key takeaways from Jonathan’s video, where he explains how these blood changes happen and why they’re so important for fitness.
The Role of Blood in Exercise

Blood is a transport system that delivers nutrients and oxygen to muscles while removing waste products. This process occurs through three main types of blood vessels:
- Arteries: Carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to tissues.
- Capillaries: Small exchange vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles and collect waste products.
- Veins: Return deoxygenated blood and waste products back to the heart.
The star of this story is the capillaries. These tiny vessels are where the magic happens—nutrients and oxygen diffuse into the muscle, while waste products like carbon dioxide are carried away.
Related Article: What is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training?
One of the most significant adaptations to consistent exercise is capillarization or the growth of new capillaries. This change enhances the efficiency of nutrient and oxygen exchange in muscles, allowing for better performance and endurance.
There are two ways to stimulate capillarization:
- Steady-state cardio exercises like cycling and jogging.
- Zone 2 training, where you can comfortably hold a conversation while exercising.
This adaptation doesn’t just improve endurance—it also aids in recovery. For athletes engaging in strength training, sprinkling in endurance-focused activities can optimize overall fitness.
Exercise increases the total volume of blood in your body, including both the fluid (plasma) and cellular components (red blood cells). This adaptation improves your body’s capacity to:
- Deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles.
- Remove metabolic byproducts like lactic acid.
Hydration and electrolyte intake play a vital role in increasing plasma volume, while red blood cell production is stimulated in the bone marrow. This combination enables muscles to produce more energy (ATP), enhancing performance.
Related Article: A Study Says That Citrulline Supplementation Improves Blood Flow & Exercise Performance
Exercise Types and Their Impact on Blood Adaptations
Jonathan highlights two primary exercise types that stimulate blood adaptations:
1. Cardiovascular Endurance Training

Cardiovascular endurance training, often referred to as "steady-state cardio," includes activities like running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking. These exercises are particularly effective for improving capillarization—the growth of new capillaries—and increasing blood volume.
A key method for optimizing these adaptations is Zone 2 training, a level of exercise intensity where you’re working hard enough to feel challenged but can still hold a conversation comfortably. Zone 2 is sustainable and allows you to accumulate more exercise over time without risking burnout or overtraining.
This consistency is what helps stimulate the growth of capillaries and improve your body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles efficiently.
For example, if you’re a cyclist, spending 30–60 minutes in Zone 2 can improve your endurance by enhancing your cardiovascular system’s efficiency. Similarly, runners training for long-distance events often use Zone 2 as a foundation to build stamina while avoiding injuries caused by overexertion.
Why It Matters:
- Improved Blood Flow: More capillaries mean better oxygen delivery to your muscles
- Increased Energy Supply: Enhanced blood volume supports longer, more effective workouts.
- Better Recovery: With improved blood circulation, waste products like lactic acid are removed faster, reducing muscle soreness.
If you’re new to steady-state cardio, start with 15–20 minutes at a moderate intensity and gradually increase your duration and frequency.
2. Strength Endurance Training

Strength endurance training combines the benefits of resistance training and cardiovascular fitness. This type of training focuses on performing exercises like push-ups, bodyweight squats, or lunges for high repetitions (15–20 or more).
These exercises help build muscular endurance while also stimulating blood adaptations, such as increased capillary density and enhanced blood volume.
Unlike traditional strength training that emphasizes heavy lifting with fewer repetitions, strength endurance training challenges your muscles over an extended period.
This approach not only strengthens your muscles but also improves their ability to sustain effort over time, which is particularly useful for endurance sports like running, cycling, or repetitive athletic movements.
For added versatility and effectiveness, incorporating DMoose Tube Resistance Bands into your workouts can elevate your fitness routine. These bands offer adjustable resistance levels, allowing you to target different muscle groups while adding intensity to traditional exercises.
Benefits of Strength Endurance Training:
- Enhanced Muscle Stamina: Perform repetitive movements more efficiently without fatigue.
- Better Blood Flow: Increased capillaries improve oxygen delivery and waste removal during high-rep exercises
- Injury Prevention: Strengthened muscles and improved endurance help protect joints during dynamic movements.
A simple yet effective routine could involve alternating between resistance band squats, push-ups, and lunges for 3 sets of 20 repetitions each. This keeps your heart rate elevated while promoting muscular endurance and blood adaptation.
Related Article: How to Get Started With Hybrid Training for Strength and Endurance
What About Strength and Explosive Training?

While blood adaptations may not directly improve a one-rep max lift or a vertical jump, they play a crucial role in recovery. Increased blood flow and capillarization in slow-twitch fibers help process metabolic byproducts like lactic acid, enabling faster recovery between sets or plays.
Sprinkling in endurance or strength endurance exercises can complement training for explosive sports like basketball or powerlifting. Even small improvements in recovery can make a significant difference in performance over time.
Use DMoose Lifting Straps for heavy lifts to maintain grip and reduce fatigue, allowing for longer, more productive sessions.
Related Article: How to Do Box Jumps: The Right Way to Build Explosive Strength
The Cellular Changes: More Red Blood Cells, More Energy
Red blood cells are critical for transporting oxygen to muscles and fueling energy production. Exercise stimulates your body to produce more red blood cells in the bone marrow, increasing your oxygen-carrying capacity.
This adaptation allows muscles to generate more ATP, the energy currency of the body, resulting in better performance and endurance.
Combine these adaptations with a protein-rich diet. Try DMoose Whey Protein Powder, which supports muscle recovery and energy replenishment post-workout.
Optimizing Your Training for Blood Adaptations

To fully benefit from the amazing changes that exercise brings to your blood, it’s important to follow a well-rounded approach. These adaptations—like increased capillarization, blood volume, and red blood cells—are key to improving endurance, recovery, and overall performance. Here's how to maximize them:
1. Incorporate Variety
A balanced workout routine is essential to stimulate all aspects of blood adaptation. Combining endurance and resistance training ensures your body develops both aerobic and muscular efficiency:
- Endurance Training: Activities like running, cycling, or swimming promote capillarization, helping your body deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles more effectively. This improves stamina and supports long-term cardiovascular health.
- Resistance Training: Exercises such as squats, lunges, and push-ups (especially with high repetitions) enhance strength endurance, which also stimulates blood volume increases and improves your muscles' ability to sustain prolonged effort.
By alternating between these types of workouts, you can ensure your body is continuously challenged, allowing for optimal adaptations. For example, you might schedule three days of endurance training and two days of resistance training per week. This balance helps prevent monotony and targets both aerobic and anaerobic systems.
2. Hydrate and Fuel
Proper hydration and nutrition are critical for supporting the fluid component of your blood, known as plasma. Plasma is essential for carrying oxygen, nutrients, and waste products, so maintaining its volume is vital for performance and recovery.
- Hydration: Water is the main component of plasma. Drinking enough water before, during, and after workouts ensures your body has the fluid it needs to support blood flow and nutrient delivery.
- Electrolytes: Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other electrolytes help retain water in your bloodstream and prevent dehydration during intense exercise. Consuming electrolyte-rich drinks or snacks like bananas can be a game-changer for endurance athletes.
Use a DMoose Water Bottle during workouts to maintain optimal hydration. Its convenient design ensures you stay fueled and focused on your fitness goals.
Related Article: Hydration is Linked to a Lower Risk of Chronic Diseases & Dying Early
3. Focus on Recovery
Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves. Without proper recovery, your body won’t have the time or resources to adapt, which can lead to fatigue or overtraining.
- Low-Intensity Sessions: Incorporating lighter workouts, like yoga, walking, or stretching, can improve blood flow without taxing your muscles. These sessions allow your body to repair and rebuild capillaries and red blood cells while staying active.
- Active Recovery: Activities like foam rolling or swimming are excellent for flushing out waste products and reducing muscle soreness.
For targeted relief, consider using a DMoose Foam Roller. Foam rolling enhances blood flow, reduces muscle stiffness, and helps speed up recovery after intense training sessions. By breaking up tight muscle tissues, you can improve circulation and prepare your body for the next workout.
FAQs
1. How does exercise increase blood volume?
Exercise stimulates your body to produce more plasma (the fluid component of blood) and red blood cells. Staying hydrated and consuming electrolytes help maintain plasma levels, while regular physical activity encourages red blood cell production in the bone marrow.
2. What is capillarization, and why is it important?
Capillarization refers to the growth of new capillaries in muscle tissue. It improves blood flow, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach your muscles while efficiently removing waste products. This enhances endurance, recovery, and overall performance.
3. Which exercises are best for stimulating blood adaptations?
Cardiovascular endurance activities like running, cycling, and swimming are great for increasing capillarization and blood volume. Strength endurance exercises, such as push-ups and bodyweight squats, also promote these adaptations, especially when performed with high repetitions.
4. How does hydration affect blood adaptation?
Hydration plays a crucial role in maintaining plasma volume, the fluid component of your blood. Without adequate water and electrolytes, your body cannot efficiently deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles or remove waste products during and after exercise.
5. Can recovery improve blood-related adaptations?
Yes, recovery is essential for maximizing blood adaptations. Low-intensity activities, active recovery, and tools like foam rollers improve blood flow, reduce muscle soreness, and support the repair and growth of capillaries and red blood cells.
Conclusion
Exercise is more than building strength or endurance—it transforms your body from the inside out, including your blood. By increasing capillarization, blood volume, and red blood cells, your body becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen, removing waste, and producing energy.
Integrate these insights into your workout routine, and you'll notice improved fitness, faster recovery, and better performance over time.
As Jonathan suggests, a thoughtful approach to training can unlock these incredible adaptations for a healthier, stronger you.