ACE Cardiorespiratory Program Design 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which acute cardiorespiratory response would you MOST expect during the transition from rest to moderate-intensity exercise?
- Decreased stroke volume
- Increased cardiac output (Correct answer)
- Decreased systolic blood pressure
- Decreased respiratory rate
Correct answer: Increased cardiac output
Cardiac output rises during exercise primarily through increases in both heart rate and stroke volume to meet elevated oxygen demands.
Question 2: An older adult client (age 68) wants to use the age-predicted HRmax formula. Which equation provides the MOST accurate estimate for older adults?
- 220 − age
- 208 − (0.7 × age) (Correct answer)
- 200 − (0.5 × age)
- 210 − (0.65 × age)
Correct answer: 208 − (0.7 × age)
The Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) is more accurate than 220 − age, especially for older adults, as it avoids overestimating maximal HR.
Question 3: During steady-state cardio, a client's breathing becomes labored and she can no longer hold a conversation. Which threshold has MOST likely been crossed?
- VT1
- VT2 (Correct answer)
- Lactate minimum
- Aerobic threshold
Correct answer: VT2
VT2 (second ventilatory threshold) marks the point where ventilation increases sharply and sustained conversation becomes impossible.
Question 4: Which type of cardiorespiratory program is MOST effective for burning the greatest total calories in a single session?
- Short HIIT (10 minutes)
- Moderate-intensity continuous training (45–60 minutes) (Correct answer)
- Sprint intervals (5 minutes total)
- Light walking (20 minutes)
Correct answer: Moderate-intensity continuous training (45–60 minutes)
Longer duration moderate-intensity continuous sessions accumulate the greatest total caloric expenditure despite lower intensity per minute.
Question 5: A client performs cardio on a stationary bike. Their breathing rate increases significantly but they can still speak with some effort. This BEST reflects exercise intensity at which zone?
- Below VT1 (Zone 1)
- Between VT1 and VT2 (Zone 2) (Correct answer)
- Above VT2 (Zone 3)
- At VO2max
Correct answer: Between VT1 and VT2 (Zone 2)
Zone 2 training (between VT1 and VT2) produces elevated but manageable breathing; the client can speak but finds it effortful.
Question 6: Which principle of exercise programming states that gains made from cardiorespiratory training are lost when training stops?
- Specificity
- Overload
- Reversibility (Correct answer)
- Individuality
Correct answer: Reversibility
The principle of reversibility (detraining) states that physiological adaptations regress when the training stimulus is removed.
Question 7: A client's resting heart rate is 65 bpm and estimated HRmax is 185 bpm. Using the Karvonen method, what is the target heart rate at 70% intensity?
- 130 bpm
- 150 bpm
- 149 bpm (Correct answer)
- 144 bpm
Correct answer: 149 bpm
HRR = 185−65 = 120; 70% of 120 = 84; 84 + 65 = 149 bpm using the Karvonen formula.
ACE Cardiorespiratory Program Design 4
Which acute cardiorespiratory response would you MOST expect during the transition from rest to moderate-intensity exercise?