Pump Up Your Career: Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA) 2025 Practice Exam Challenge!

The equation for Total Lung Capacity (TLC) is accurately represented by the combination of tidal volume (TV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), and residual volume (RV). This comprehensive equation captures the total amount of air that the lungs can hold, including all volumes involved in both passive and forced breathing scenarios.

Total Lung Capacity is defined as:

TLC = TV + IRV + ERV + RV

This equation accounts for the entire capacity of the lungs in terms of all the volumes involved in the process of inhalation and exhalation, including the volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximal exhalation (RV).

Option A, which states TLC = VC + RV, is not entirely accurate because it simplifies the equation and does not include the inspiratory reserve and expiratory reserve volumes that are critical to fully understanding lung capacity.

In summary, the correct representation of Total Lung Capacity reflects the sum of all the individual lung volumes, incorporating all aspects of respiratory function.