What does stroke volume measure?

Stroke volume specifically measures the volume of blood that is ejected by the heart with each contraction or heartbeat. It is a key parameter in understanding cardiovascular function and health, as it reflects how much blood is being delivered to the body's tissues and organs with each pump of the heart.

This metric is significant because it helps in assessing the efficiency of the heart's pumping action. An increased stroke volume can be seen in well-conditioned athletes whose hearts can pump a greater volume of blood per beat, while a decreased stroke volume might indicate health issues or compromised cardiac function.

Understanding stroke volume provides insight into overall cardiovascular fitness and can be an important factor in exercise programming and recovery strategies for personal training clients. The other options relate to aspects of heart function or blood volume but do not specifically define stroke volume.