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Ch. 9 Muscles and Muscle Tissue
Marieb - Human Anatomy & Physiology 11th Edition
Marieb, Hoehn11th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874034Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 9, 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
Step 1: Understand the effects of aerobic exercise on muscle tissue. Aerobic exercise primarily enhances the muscle's ability to use oxygen efficiently over prolonged periods.
Step 2: Review each option in the context of aerobic adaptations: (a) More capillaries surrounding muscle fibers - aerobic exercise promotes angiogenesis, increasing capillary density to improve oxygen delivery.
Step 3: (b) More mitochondria in muscle cells - aerobic exercise stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, increasing the number of mitochondria to enhance aerobic metabolism.
Step 4: (c) Increased size and strength of existing muscle cells - this is typically a result of anaerobic or resistance training, which causes hypertrophy, not aerobic exercise.
Step 5: (d) More myoglobin - aerobic exercise increases myoglobin content in muscle cells to improve oxygen storage and transport within the muscle.

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Key Concepts

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

Aerobic Exercise Adaptations

Aerobic exercise primarily enhances the body's ability to use oxygen efficiently, leading to physiological changes such as increased capillary density, more mitochondria, and higher myoglobin content in muscle cells to improve endurance and energy production.
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Muscle Hypertrophy vs. Endurance Training

Muscle hypertrophy refers to the increase in muscle size and strength, typically resulting from resistance or anaerobic training, not aerobic exercise. Aerobic training focuses more on endurance adaptations rather than significant muscle growth.
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Role of Myoglobin in Muscle Cells

Myoglobin is a protein in muscle cells that binds oxygen, facilitating oxygen storage and transport within muscles. Aerobic exercise increases myoglobin levels to support sustained aerobic metabolism during prolonged activity.
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