Vasodilation contributes to the rapid hyperemia with rhythmic contractions in humans

Abstract

The hypothesis that the rapid increases in blood flow at the exercise onsetare exclusively due to the mechanical effects of the muscle pump was tested in six volunteersduring dynamic handgrip exercise. While supine, each subject completed a series of eightdifferent exercise tests in which brachial artery blood pressure (BP) was altered by25–30 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) by positioning the arm above or below the heart.Two different weights, corresponding to 4.9 and 9.7% of maximal voluntary isometriccontraction, were raised and lowered at two different contraction rate schedules (1s:1s and 2s:2swork–rest) each with a 50% duty cycle. Beat-by-beat measures of mean blood velocity (MBV)(pulsed Doppler) were obtained at rest and for 5 min following step increases in work ratewith emphasis on the first 24 s. MBV was increased 50–100% above rest following the firstcontraction in both arm positions (p < 0.05). The increase in MBV from rest was greaterin the below position compared with above, and this effect was observed following the first andsubsequent contractions (p < 0.05). However, the positional effect on the increase inMBV could not be explained entirely by the ~40% greater BP in this position. Also, the greaterworkload resulted in greater increases in MBV as early as the first contraction, compared withthe light workload (p < 0.05) despite similar reductions in forearm volume followingsingle contractions. MBV was greater with faster contraction rate tests by 8 s of exercise. Itwas concluded that microvascular vasodilation must act in concert with a reduction in venouspressure to increase forearm blood flow within the initial 2–4 s of exercise.Key words: Doppler, mean blood velocity, arterial diameter,handgrip exercise, perfusion pressure.