Which of the following is a typical physiological response to aerobic activity?

• A. Lower resting heart rate
• B. Higher resting heart rate
• C. Decreased stroke volume
• D. Increased resting blood pressure

Answer: (A)

Aerobic activity trains the heart to be more efficient. With regular endurance training, the heart becomes stronger and pumps more blood with each beat (increased stroke volume). Because more blood is ejected per beat, the heart doesn’t need to beat as often at rest, so resting heart rate decreases. Cardiac output at rest stays about the same or drops slightly, while overall cardiovascular efficiency improves. This makes a lower resting heart rate a typical adaptation. The other options don’t fit this pattern: resting heart rate would not rise with training, stroke volume would not decrease, and resting blood pressure tends to stay the same or decrease rather than increase.