End systolic volume (ESV)

Definition

End systolic volume is the volume of blood left in a ventricle of the heart after it has contracted and before it begins to fill again. It represents the lowest volume of blood in the ventricle at any point in the cardiac cycle.

Related terms

Cardiac Cycle: The sequence of events that occur in the heart from one heartbeat to another, including contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) phases.

Stroke Volume: The amount of blood ejected by a ventricle during one contraction; calculated as the difference between end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume.

Ejection Fraction: A measurement, expressed as a percentage, that describes the portion of blood pumped out of a filled ventricle with each heartbeat