Cardiovascular Physiology Flashcards
7 cards from real ACSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cardiovascular Physiology flashcards as text
What is the expected blood pressure response during a graded exercise test in a normotensive individual?
Answer: Systolic pressure rises progressively; diastolic pressure remains stable or slightly decreases
During graded exercise, systolic blood pressure increases with workload due to rising cardiac output, while diastolic pressure remains stable or may slightly decrease due to peripheral vasodilation.
Which of the following is an abnormal blood pressure response that would warrant stopping a graded exercise test?
Answer: Systolic BP dropping more than 10 mmHg below baseline despite increasing workload
An exertional drop in systolic BP of >10 mmHg below baseline is a relative contraindication for exercise and may indicate severe left ventricular dysfunction or outflow obstruction.
Which plasma protein is MOST responsible for maintaining oncotic pressure and preventing fluid from leaking from capillaries into interstitial spaces?
Answer: Albumin
Albumin accounts for approximately 80% of plasma oncotic pressure, drawing fluid back into the capillaries from the interstitium.
During prolonged exercise in the heat, which cardiovascular phenomenon is referred to as 'cardiovascular drift'?
Answer: Gradual rise in heart rate with declining stroke volume due to fluid shifts and cutaneous vasodilation
Cardiovascular drift occurs during prolonged exercise, especially in heat, as plasma volume decreases (sweating) and blood is diverted to the skin, reducing venous return, stroke volume, and thus requiring heart rate to rise to maintain cardiac output.
What is the primary role of the sinoatrial (SA) node?
Answer: Initiating the electrical impulse that triggers each cardiac cycle
The SA node is the heart's primary pacemaker, spontaneously generating action potentials at 60–100 bpm that initiate each cardiac cycle.
Which measure best reflects the workload on the heart and is commonly used to estimate myocardial oxygen demand during exercise testing?
Answer: Rate-pressure product (RPP = HR × SBP)
The rate-pressure product (double product) correlates closely with myocardial oxygen consumption and is a standard clinical estimate of cardiac work during exercise.
Which statement correctly describes the relationship between venous return and cardiac output under normal physiological conditions?
Answer: Venous return and cardiac output are equal over time, as the heart pumps whatever blood it receives
By Starling's law and conservation of mass, cardiac output must equal venous return in a steady state, as the heart cannot pump more blood than it receives.