Final answer:
After a sedentary individual engages in strenuous exercise, changes such as angiogenesis, mitochondrial division, and increased glycogen storage are possible in the muscle tissue. The correct answer is option d.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a sedentary individual suddenly engages in a large bout of exercise, various physiological changes can occur in the days following the exertion. These changes are related to the body's adaptation to increased physical demands and include a range of cellular modifications in muscle tissue. Let's examine the possibilities mentioned:
- Microvessels can be created throughout muscle fibers to supply oxygen and remove metabolic waste more efficiently, a process known as angiogenesis.
- Mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, can divide and increase in number to enhance the muscle’s ability to produce energy through aerobic respiration.
- The capacity for more glycogen storage in muscle cells may be enhanced to provide a more readily available energy source for future exertion.
All of these changes contribute to the body's improved capacity for performance and recovery. When muscles are exposed to new stressors, such as exercise, they adapt by strengthening and improving their functionality, which includes the growth of microvessels, mitochondria division, and glycogen storage. Therefore, all of the options listed (a, b, and c) are possible changes that can occur in muscles following a large and sudden bout of exercise by a sedentary individual.