Questions: Multiple Choice Question
What does exercise do to venous return?
It decreases it.
It has no effect on venous return.
It increases it.
Multiple Choice Question
What does exercise do to venous return?
It decreases it.
It has no effect on venous return.
It increases it.
Solution
The answer is the third one: It increases it.
Explanation for each option:
It decreases it. - This is incorrect. Exercise typically increases venous return due to several physiological mechanisms that enhance blood flow back to the heart.
It has no effect on venous return. - This is incorrect. Exercise does have a significant effect on venous return, primarily increasing it.
It increases it. - This is correct. During exercise, the body's demand for oxygen and nutrients increases, leading to several adaptations that enhance venous return. These include the muscle pump effect, where contracting muscles compress veins and push blood back to the heart, and the respiratory pump, where changes in thoracic pressure during breathing aid venous return. Additionally, sympathetic nervous system activation during exercise causes venoconstriction, which also helps increase venous return.
In summary, exercise increases venous return through various physiological mechanisms that enhance the flow of blood back to the heart.