HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 98/4/1463    most recent 01211.2004v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Williams, J. T. Articles by Halliwill, J. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Williams, J. T. Articles by Halliwill, J. R.

Is postexercise hypotension related to excess postexercise oxygen consumption through changes in leg blood flow?

Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

Submitted 26 October 2004 ; accepted in final form 12 December 2004

After a single bout of aerobic exercise, oxygen consumption remains elevated above preexercise levels [excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)]. Similarly, skeletal muscle blood flow remains elevated for an extended period of time. This results in a postexercise hypotension. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of a causal link between EPOC, postexercise hypotension, and postexercise elevations in skeletal muscle blood flow by comparing the magnitude and duration of these postexercise phenomena. Sixteen healthy, normotensive, moderately active subjects (7 men and 9 woman, age 20–31 yr) were studied before and through 135 min after a 60-min bout of upright cycling at 60% of peak oxygen consumption. Resting and recovery O₂ were measured with a custom-built dilution hood and mass spectrometer-based metabolic system. Mean arterial pressure was measured via an automated blood pressure cuff, and femoral blood flow was measured using ultrasound. During the first hour postexercise, O₂ was increased by 11 ± 2%, leg blood flow was increased by 51 ± 18%, leg vascular conductance was increased by 56 ± 19%, and mean arterial pressure was decreased by 2.2 ± 1.0 mmHg (all P < 0.05 vs. preexercise). At the end of the protocol, O₂ remained elevated by 4 ± 2% (P < 0.05), whereas leg blood flow, leg vascular conductance, and mean arterial pressure returned to preexercise levels (all P > 0.7 vs. preexercise). Taken together, these data demonstrate that EPOC and the elevations in skeletal muscle blood flow underlying postexercise hypotension do not share a common time course. This suggests that there is no causal link between these two postexercise phenomena.

metabolism; hemodynamics; skeletal muscle; recovery