What is the effect of skeletal muscle contraction on venous return?

• A. Skeletal muscle contraction presses on veins and helps to increase venous return
• B. It reduces venous return
• C. It has no effect
• D. It diverts blood to arteries

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the skeletal muscle pump: when muscles contract, they compress the veins that run through the limbs. This squeezing raises the pressure inside the veins and pushes blood toward the heart. Vein valves keep the blood moving in the right direction, preventing backflow, so each contraction effectively increases venous return. This helps maintain preload and cardiac output, especially against gravity when standing or during activity. The other ideas don’t fit because skeletal muscle contraction doesn’t decrease venous return, it does have an effect, and it doesn’t divert blood into arteries—the pump mainly enhances flow back to the heart through the venous system.