Rapid blunting of sympathetic vasoconstriction in the human forearm at the onset of exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that sympathetic vasoconstriction is rapidly blunted at the onset of forearm exercise. Nine healthy subjects performed 5 min of moderate dynamic forearm handgrip exercise during −60 mmHg lower body negative pressure (LBNP) vs. without (control). Beat-by-beat forearm blood flow (Doppler ultrasound), arterial blood pressure (finger photoplethysmograph), and heart rate were collected. LBNP elevated resting heart rate by ∼45%. Mean arterial blood pressure was not significantly changed ( P = 0.196), but diastolic blood pressure was elevated by ∼10% and pulse pressure was reduced by ∼20%. At rest, there was a 30% reduction in forearm vascular conductance (FVC) during LBNP ( P = 0.004). The initial rapid increase in FVC with exercise onset reached a plateau between 10 and 20 s of 126.6 ± 4.1 ml · min−1 · 100 mmHg−1 in control vs. only 101.6 ± 4.1 ml · min−1 · 100 mmHg−1 in LBNP (main effect of condition, P = 0.003). This difference was quickly abolished during the second, slower phase of adaptation in forearm vascular tone to steady state. These data are consistent with a rapid onset of functional sympatholysis, in which local substances released with the onset of muscle contractions impair sympathetic neural vasoconstrictor effectiveness.