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Ch. 9 Muscles and Muscle Tissue
Chapter 8, Problem 13

Aerobic exercise results in all of the following except a. more capillaries surrounding muscle fibers, b. more mitochondria in muscle cells, c. increased size and strength of existing muscle cells, d. more myoglobin.

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1
Identify the effects of aerobic exercise on muscle physiology.
Understand that aerobic exercise enhances endurance and efficiency of muscles.
Recognize that aerobic exercise typically increases capillary density around muscle fibers to improve oxygen delivery.
Note that aerobic exercise increases the number of mitochondria in muscle cells to boost energy production.
Realize that aerobic exercise does not primarily focus on increasing the size and strength of muscle cells, which is more characteristic of anaerobic or resistance training.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise refers to physical activities that rely on the aerobic energy-generating process, which uses oxygen to fuel the body during prolonged activities. This type of exercise, such as running or cycling, enhances cardiovascular endurance and promotes overall health by improving the efficiency of the heart and lungs.
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Muscle Adaptations

Muscle adaptations are physiological changes that occur in response to regular aerobic training. These adaptations include an increase in the number of capillaries, mitochondria, and myoglobin in muscle cells, which enhance oxygen delivery and utilization, ultimately improving endurance and performance.
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Hypertrophy vs. Endurance Training

Hypertrophy refers to the increase in muscle size and strength, typically associated with resistance training rather than aerobic exercise. While aerobic exercise can lead to some muscle adaptations, it primarily focuses on endurance rather than significantly increasing the size of existing muscle cells, which is why options related to hypertrophy are less likely to be a result of aerobic training.
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