Hypertrophy results in which of the following changes?

• A. Decreased muscle size
• B. Increased neural adaptations
• C. Increased muscle cross-sectional area
• D. Increased tendon length

Answer: (C)

Hypertrophy means the muscle fibers increase in size, which shows up as a larger muscle overall. This is expressed as an increased cross-sectional area of the muscle, so the option describing a bigger muscle cross-sectional area is the right one. Neural adaptations, while important for strength gains, involve improvements in nerve signaling and motor unit recruitment rather than a true increase in muscle size. Tendon length doesn’t grow with hypertrophy, though tendons can adapt in other properties like strength or stiffness; their length stays essentially the same. Decreased muscle size would be the opposite of hypertrophy.