Systole is the ________ phase of the cardiac cycle

http://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/cardiovascular/heart/physiology.html

I believe it is the contraction phase because diastole is the relaxing phase.

yes you're right it's contraction I got it right on my exam :)

To find the answer to this question, we need to understand the phases of the cardiac cycle. The cardiac cycle refers to the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles that enable it to pump blood effectively.

The cardiac cycle is divided into two main phases: diastole and systole. Diastole refers to the relaxation phase, during which the heart chambers fill with blood. Systole, on the other hand, refers to the contraction phase when the heart muscles contract to pump blood out of the chambers.

Knowing this, we can conclude that systole is the contraction phase of the cardiac cycle.