Question

As your skeletal muscles contract during physical activity, more blood is returned to the heart. Which variable would be affected and what would be the outcome of this action?
a.) Contractility would be increased, which would result in a larger cardiac output.
b.) Afterload would increase, which would increase cardiac output.
c.) Preload would be increased, which would result in a larger cardiac output.
d.) End-systolic volume would be increased, which would increase cardiac output.

Answer 1

Answer:

As a result of skeletal muscle contraction in physical exercise, the venous return - amount of blood that goes to the heart - is greater, so preload would be increased, which would result in a larger cardiac output.

Explanation:

Preload is a term associated with heart function, which consists of the amount of blood that reaches the ventricles from venous circulation.

This preload is able to occupy a space and stretch the walls of the ventricle and determine the amount of blood that will be pumped during ventricular contraction (systole).

In terms of cardiovascular function, preload depends on:

• Final Diastolic Pressure of the Left Ventricle.
• Final Diastolic Radius of the Left Ventricle.
• Thickness of the ventricle.
• Central venous pressure
• The speed of venous return.

A consequence of the increased volume of blood in the ventricle -due to a higher preload- is the increase in cardiac output.

Learn more:

Decreased cardiac ouput brainly.com/question/8677396