During exercise, blood pressure is likely to increase due to what physiological change?

• A. Vasodilitation
• B. Vasoconstriction
• C. Dehydration
• D. Orthostatic hypotension

Answer: (D)

During exercise, blood pressure rises mainly because the sympathetic system boosts heart rate and the force of contraction, increasing cardiac output, and because arterioles in nonworking parts of the body constrict (vasoconstriction), raising systemic vascular resistance. This combination pushes arterial pressure upward even though vessels in working muscles dilate to improve blood flow locally. Dehydration reduces blood volume, which tends to lower pressure; orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure on standing; and vasodilation would generally lower blood pressure, which is why those options don’t explain the exercise-induced rise.