During exercise, which term describes redirecting blood away from the digestive system to working muscles?

During exercise, which term describes redirecting blood away from the digestive system to working muscles?

• A. Blood shunting
• B. Cardiac output
• C. Venous return
• D. Vasodilation

Answer: (A)

During exercise the body redirects blood to the working muscles to meet their higher oxygen demands. This adjustment is known as blood shunting, where vessels in the digestive system constrict (vasoconstriction) and those supplying the muscles dilate (vasodilation), moving more blood to the muscles. Cardiac output describes how much blood the heart pumps overall, which increases but it doesn’t specify where the blood goes. Venous return is about the blood returning to the heart, not the redistribution of blood. Vasodilation explains how vessels to the muscles widen, but the overall term that captures sending blood away from the gut toward the muscles is blood shunting.

During exercise the body redirects blood to the working muscles to meet their higher oxygen demands. This adjustment is known as blood shunting, where vessels in the digestive system constrict (vasoconstriction) and those supplying the muscles dilate (vasodilation), moving more blood to the muscles. Cardiac output describes how much blood the heart pumps overall, which increases but it doesn’t specify where the blood goes. Venous return is about the blood returning to the heart, not the redistribution of blood. Vasodilation explains how vessels to the muscles widen, but the overall term that captures sending blood away from the gut toward the muscles is blood shunting.