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Physiological Responses to Exercise

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Physiological Responses to Exercise

Read the scenario and data, then answer each question. Use evidence from the data and your knowledge of exercise physiology. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute (bpm).

Aisha’s observatory training session

Aisha is training for a steep uphill charity run near a volcano observatory. After sitting quietly, she jogs steadily for six minutes, then stops and sits down. Her working leg muscles need more ATP to contract. Her breathing and circulation adjust during exercise, and gradually return towards resting levels during recovery.

Time

Heart rate (bpm)

Breathing rate (breaths/min)

Resting

During jog

148

1 minute after

112

5 minutes after

Interpret the responses

Use the scenario and measurements to explain what is happening in Aisha’s body.

1.Compare Aisha’s heart rate during the jog with her resting heart rate. By how many beats per minute did it increase? Show the subtraction.

2.Which explanation best describes why Aisha’s heart rate increased during the jog?

The heart pumps more blood per minute to help deliver oxygen and fuel to working muscles.
The heart rate rises so the muscles can stop using energy.
The heart beats faster only because body temperature falls.
The heart rate increases to reduce blood flow to the muscles.

3.Explain how Aisha’s breathing rate and circulation work together to support her working leg muscles during exercise. Include oxygen and carbon dioxide in your answer.

4.True or false? Five minutes after the jog, Aisha’s heart rate and breathing rate are both close to their resting values. Support your choice with two figures from the data.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence: During exercise, muscle cells use oxygen and glucose in aerobic respiration to release energy, producing carbon dioxide, water and .

6.Match each exercise response with its main effect.

Heart rate increases
Breathing rate increases
Skin blood flow and sweating increase

More oxygen can enter and carbon dioxide can be removed
Heat loss from the body is helped
More blood is moved around the body each minute

7.Aisha’s heart rate falls from 148 bpm during the jog to 112 bpm one minute after stopping. Calculate the decrease and explain what the change suggests about recovery.

8.Oliver says, “Once exercise stops, the body immediately returns to resting conditions.” Use Aisha’s one-minute data to evaluate this claim.

9.During the uphill jog, Aisha’s legs feel hot and she starts sweating. Describe how sweating and increased blood flow near the skin help regulate body temperature.

10.Aisha wants to compare recovery after two uphill training sessions. Give one variable she should keep the same and one measurement she could collect to make the comparison fair and useful.