Final answer:
The statement that exercise causes the ventricles to hypertrophy is true. Regular exercise leads to beneficial hypertrophy of the ventricles, allowing them to pump blood more effectively by adapting to increased demands on the heart. Over time, excessive hypertrophy can have negative health implications.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that exercise causes the ventricles to hypertrophy is true. Ventricular hypertrophy refers to the thickening of the ventricular walls, particularly the left ventricle, due to increased workload. With regular exercise, the heart needs to pump more blood to meet the body's increased demand for oxygen, leading to the heart muscle, including the ventricles, to strengthen and enlarge, a process known as hypertrophy. This is part of the body's adaptation to regular exercise and is typically beneficial, as it allows the ventricles to pump blood more effectively. Over time, however, particularly with excessive hypertrophy, it can lead to potential health issues.
In the context of cardiac physiology, Starling's Law of the Heart states that the strength of the heart's contraction is directly related to the initial length of the cardiac muscle fibers, which corresponds to the degree of ventricular stretch. As ventricles stretch due to increased blood volume (preload), they consequently contract more forcefully to increase stroke volume (SV), enhancing their capacity to pump blood efficiently. However, excessive hypertrophy due to abnormal conditions or high blood pressure can cause thickening and weakening of the heart muscle, leading to potential complications such as heart failure.