A woman is jogging on a wooded trail. Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images. Consisting of a series of body parts including the lungs, diaphragm and nasal cavity, the respiratory system is responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from muscles and tissues.During exercise, the respiratory system increases to meet the demands of the working muscles.o meet the increasing oxygen demands from the working muscles, additional oxygen must be transported through the blood vessels. During exercise, the sympathetic nerve stimulates the veins to constrict to return more blood to the heart.