Question

The heart rate and ventilatory responses to a fixed submaximal work rate are lower (i.e., lower heart rate and lower minute ventilation) following an endurance training program. This training-induced adaptation is primarily due to changes in the

a) trained skeletal muscles.
b) AV node.
c) spinal cord.
d) central nervous system.

Answer 1

Endurance training leads to lower heart rate and minute ventilation during exercise due to changes in the central nervous system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The heart rate and ventilatory responses to a fixed submaximal work rate are lower following an endurance training program. This training-induced adaptation is primarily due to changes in the central nervous system. The cardiovascular centers in the medulla oblongata of the brain control the heart rate and are responsible for regulating the sympathetic and parasympathetic activity that determines the heart rate and minute ventilation. Through endurance training, the central nervous system becomes more efficient in regulating these responses, resulting in lower heart rate and lower minute ventilation.