The supine recovery position after exercise is recommended because it increases stroke volume and reduces cardiovascular load.

• A. It increases heart rate and blood pressure
• B. It increases venous pooling and increases load
• C. It increases stroke volume and reduces cardiovascular load
• D. It decreases stroke volume

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how body position affects venous return, preload, and how hard the heart has to work after exercise. Lying on the back (supine) reduces the gravitational pooling of blood in the legs, so more blood returns to the heart. That increases preload and, via the Frank-Starling mechanism, raises stroke volume. With a greater stroke volume, the heart can maintain or restore cardiac output without needing a high heart rate, which lowers the overall workload on the heart during recovery. The other statements describe effects that don’t match this physiology—higher heart rate and blood pressure, more venous pooling, or lower stroke volume—so they don’t reflect why the supine recovery position is beneficial.