ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Practice Exam

Which of the following is a typical acute response to strength or endurance training?

1. Decrease in muscle size

2. Increase in heart rate and blood pressure

3. Increased injury risk

4. Decrease in connective tissue

The correct answer is: Increase in heart rate and blood pressure

The acute response to strength or endurance training includes various physiological changes that occur immediately or shortly after exercise. Among these changes, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure is a typical response. When a person engages in physical activity, the body requires more oxygen and nutrients to support the heightened level of exertion. To meet these demands, the heart pumps faster, resulting in an increased heart rate. Concurrently, blood vessels constrict and blood flow is directed to active muscles, which leads to an elevation in blood pressure during the activity. In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent typical acute responses to exercise. For example, a decrease in muscle size would not be immediate; rather, muscle hypertrophy occurs over an extended period with consistent training. Increased injury risk is generally associated with poor technique or overtraining, not a direct acute response to the training itself. Similarly, while connective tissue may adapt and strengthen over time with appropriate training, an acute response would not include a decrease in connective tissue. Thus, the increase in heart rate and blood pressure is indeed the correct answer as it reflects a straightforward and immediate bodily response to physical exertion.