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Human Performance and Environmental Medicine Research Laboratory, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
The hypothesis that reduced cardiac
filling, as a result of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and
postexercise hypotension (PEH), would attenuate the reflex changes to
heart rate (HR), skin blood flow (SkBF), and mean arterial pressure
(MAP) normally induced by facial immersion was tested. The purpose of
this study was to investigate the cardiovascular control mechanisms
associated with apneic facial immersion during different cardiovascular
challenges. Six subjects randomly performed 30-s apneic facial
immersions in 6.0 ± 1.2°C water under the following conditions:
1)
20 mmHg LBNP, 2) +40 mmHg lower body
positive pressure (LBPP), 3) during a period of PEH, and
4) normal resting (control). Measurements included SkBF at
one acral (distal phalanx of the thumb) and one nonacral region of skin
(ventral forearm), HR, and MAP. Facial immersion reduced HR and SkBF at
both sites and increased MAP under all conditions (P < 0.05). Reduced cardiac filling during LBNP and PEH significantly
attenuated the absolute HR nadir observed during the control immersion
(P < 0.05). The LBPP condition did not result in a
lower HR nadir than control but did result in a nadir significantly
lower than that of the LBNP and PEH conditions (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in either SkBF or MAP between
conditions; however, the magnitude of SkBF reduction was greater at the
acral site than at the nonacral site for all conditions (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the cardiac
parasympathetic response during facial immersion can be attenuated when
cardiac filling is compromised.
diving response; skin blood flow; lower body pressure; blood pressure
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