Exercise Science & Physiology Flashcards
7 cards from real CFP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Exercise Science & Physiology flashcards as text
Which reflex is responsible for increasing muscle activation when a muscle spindle detects a sudden stretch?
Answer: Stretch reflex (myotatic reflex)
The stretch reflex causes the stretched muscle to contract reflexively, protecting against rapid elongation that could cause injury.
The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) of 1.0 indicates that the body is primarily using which fuel source?
Answer: Carbohydrate only
An RER of 1.0 reflects equal volumes of CO₂ produced and O₂ consumed, which is the ratio characteristic of carbohydrate oxidation.
What is the PRIMARY mechanism behind muscle hypertrophy following resistance training?
Answer: Increased size of existing muscle fibers through protein synthesis exceeding breakdown
In humans, hypertrophy is mainly driven by increased cross-sectional area of existing fibers as anabolic signaling upregulates protein synthesis.
Blood pressure during maximal aerobic exercise typically shows which pattern?
Answer: Systolic pressure rises markedly; diastolic pressure stays the same or slightly decreases
During maximal aerobic exercise, increased cardiac output raises systolic pressure, while peripheral vasodilation in active muscles keeps diastolic pressure relatively stable.
Which of the following BEST explains why trained athletes have lower resting heart rates than untrained individuals?
Answer: Increased stroke volume means fewer beats are needed to maintain resting cardiac output
Cardiac adaptations increase stroke volume, so a trained heart can maintain adequate cardiac output with fewer beats per minute at rest.
Which physiological event marks the onset of the lactate threshold during graded exercise testing?
Answer: Blood lactate concentration begins to accumulate faster than it can be cleared
The lactate threshold marks the exercise intensity at which lactate production by fast-twitch fibers outpaces clearance, causing measurable blood lactate accumulation.
A client performs a squat, and the quadriceps contract while the hamstrings automatically relax to allow the movement. This phenomenon is called:
Answer: Reciprocal inhibition
Reciprocal inhibition is the neurological mechanism where activation of an agonist muscle causes reflexive inhibition of its antagonist to allow smooth movement.