ACSM-CPT Exercise Physiology — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary energy system used during high-intensity exercise lasting 30-90 seconds?
- Anaerobic glycolysis (lactic acid system) (Correct answer)
- Phosphagen system (ATP-PC)
- Oxidative phosphorylation (aerobic system)
- Beta-oxidation of fatty acids
Correct answer: Anaerobic glycolysis (lactic acid system)
Anaerobic glycolysis becomes the dominant energy system for high-intensity activities lasting 30-90 seconds, breaking down glucose without oxygen and producing lactate as a byproduct.
Question 2: What physiological adaptation occurs in skeletal muscle with chronic resistance training?
- Muscle fiber hypertrophy through increased myofibrillar protein synthesis (Correct answer)
- Decreased capillary density
- Reduction in motor unit recruitment
- Loss of type II muscle fibers
Correct answer: Muscle fiber hypertrophy through increased myofibrillar protein synthesis
Chronic resistance training stimulates increased myofibrillar protein synthesis, leading to greater cross-sectional area of muscle fibers (hypertrophy), particularly in type II fast-twitch fibers.
Question 3: What is VO2max and why is it important for fitness assessment?
- The maximum rate of oxygen consumption during exercise, reflecting cardiorespiratory fitness (Correct answer)
- The maximum volume of air the lungs can hold
- The maximum heart rate achieved during exercise
- The maximum amount of carbon dioxide exhaled
Correct answer: The maximum rate of oxygen consumption during exercise, reflecting cardiorespiratory fitness
VO2max represents the maximum rate at which the body can consume and utilize oxygen during intense exercise, serving as the gold standard measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic capacity.
Question 4: What is the FITT principle in exercise prescription?
- Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of exercise (Correct answer)
- Flexibility, Interval, Training, and Technique
- Force, Impact, Threshold, and Timing
- Fitness, Improvement, Testing, and Tracking
Correct answer: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of exercise
The FITT principle provides a framework for exercise prescription: Frequency (how often), Intensity (how hard), Time (how long), and Type (what kind of exercise), allowing systematic program design.
Question 5: What happens to blood pressure during resistance exercise?
- Both systolic and diastolic pressure increase significantly (Correct answer)
- Blood pressure decreases during the effort
- Only diastolic pressure changes
- Blood pressure remains unchanged during exercise
Correct answer: Both systolic and diastolic pressure increase significantly
During resistance exercise, especially with heavy loads and the Valsalva maneuver, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure rise significantly due to increased peripheral resistance from muscle contraction.
Question 6: What is the sliding filament theory?
- The mechanism by which actin and myosin filaments slide past each other to produce muscle contraction (Correct answer)
- The theory that muscles grow by adding new fibers
- The principle of muscle fiber type conversion during training
- The mechanism of nerve impulse transmission to muscles
Correct answer: The mechanism by which actin and myosin filaments slide past each other to produce muscle contraction
The sliding filament theory explains muscle contraction: myosin heads bind to actin filaments and pull them toward the center of the sarcomere, shortening the muscle fiber without the filaments themselves changing length.
ACSM-CPT Exercise Physiology
What is the primary energy system used during high-intensity exercise lasting 30-90 seconds?