One of the adaptations that occur to muscles due to exercise is that contractions become stronger and steadier over time even with no change in muscle mass. Which statement below best explains why muscle contractions may become stronger?
A) Muscle fibers reflexively start generating force even before the motor neurons send action potentials.
B) The skeletal muscle contraction is enhanced by an increased input from the sympathetic nervous system.
C) The action potentials sent by the motor neurons get larger and last longer to produce more force in the muscles.
D) More motor neurons are made so that more action potentials can be sent down to the muscles.
E) Motor neurons are activated more rapidly to generate a stronger muscle contraction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Motor neurons activating more rapidly can lead to a stronger muscle contraction because this increases the frequency of stimulation of the muscle fibers, leading to a more sustained and stronger contraction without necessarily increasing the size of the muscle. This is a part of the neural adaptations to exercise, where the efficiency and coordination of motor unit recruitment are improved.

One of the Adaptations That Occur to Muscles Due to Exercise