AFAA Personal Trainer Cer fica on Study Guide Exam
Ques ons and answers updated RATED A+ 2025/2026
Myocardial Infarc on - Hear a ack occurs due to lack of blood flow through the coronary
arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or milileters) of blood
pumped per minute
Venous Return - The amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a strenuous ac vity,
such as li*ing weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ven la on - total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - amount of air remaining in the lungs a*er a complete and total forced
exhale
Forced vital capacity - amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled a*er a maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - sum of the residual volume and the forced vital capacity
,Glucose - body's usable form of carbohydrate
Lac c Acid - produced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body cannot supply enough
oxygen to the ssues
Glycolysis - a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of
reac ons to either pyruvic acid or lac c acid and release energy for the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - a subcellular structure where oxida on takes place
Beta oxida on - A metabolic sequence that breaks fa y acids down to two-carbon fragments
that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
Krebs cycle - the acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic metabolism enters into
the citric acid cycle
Electron transport system - the final sequence of reac ons in the aerobic produc on of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - the maximum amount of oxygen consumed and u lized by the body
during an all-out effort to exhaus on
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consump on - addi onal oxygen consumed immediately a*er an
exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - each sec on of a myofibril in muscle
Ac n - structural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils; func ons in muscle
contrac on
, Anatomical Posi on - standing posi on with hands down and palms facing forward
Supine - lying on the spine
Prone - lying face down
Axial Skeleton - part of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum
Synovial joints - have a small space between the ar cula ng bones that allows for a greater
range of mo on
Car lage - a white, semi-opaque, fibrous connec ve ssue that cushions the joints and
prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - secretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment, lubrica on, and
hydrotas c cushioning for the joint
Bursae - liquid-filled membranes that protect so* ssues as they pass by bony projec ons
Ligament - band of fibrous ssue that connects bone to bone and provides joint stability.
Tendon - dense, fibrous connec ve ssue that forms the end of a muscle and a aches muscle
to bone
Fascia - fibrous connec ve ssue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
Ques ons and answers updated RATED A+ 2025/2026
Myocardial Infarc on - Hear a ack occurs due to lack of blood flow through the coronary
arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or milileters) of blood
pumped per minute
Venous Return - The amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a strenuous ac vity,
such as li*ing weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ven la on - total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - amount of air remaining in the lungs a*er a complete and total forced
exhale
Forced vital capacity - amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled a*er a maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - sum of the residual volume and the forced vital capacity
,Glucose - body's usable form of carbohydrate
Lac c Acid - produced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body cannot supply enough
oxygen to the ssues
Glycolysis - a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars through a series of
reac ons to either pyruvic acid or lac c acid and release energy for the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - a subcellular structure where oxida on takes place
Beta oxida on - A metabolic sequence that breaks fa y acids down to two-carbon fragments
that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
Krebs cycle - the acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic metabolism enters into
the citric acid cycle
Electron transport system - the final sequence of reac ons in the aerobic produc on of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - the maximum amount of oxygen consumed and u lized by the body
during an all-out effort to exhaus on
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consump on - addi onal oxygen consumed immediately a*er an
exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - each sec on of a myofibril in muscle
Ac n - structural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils; func ons in muscle
contrac on
, Anatomical Posi on - standing posi on with hands down and palms facing forward
Supine - lying on the spine
Prone - lying face down
Axial Skeleton - part of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum
Synovial joints - have a small space between the ar cula ng bones that allows for a greater
range of mo on
Car lage - a white, semi-opaque, fibrous connec ve ssue that cushions the joints and
prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - secretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment, lubrica on, and
hydrotas c cushioning for the joint
Bursae - liquid-filled membranes that protect so* ssues as they pass by bony projec ons
Ligament - band of fibrous ssue that connects bone to bone and provides joint stability.
Tendon - dense, fibrous connec ve ssue that forms the end of a muscle and a aches muscle
to bone
Fascia - fibrous connec ve ssue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
