Continuously Recorded Changes of Thoracic Aortic Blood Flow in Man in Response to Leg Exercise in Supine Position

Abstract

The constant-rate-injection, indicator-dilution technic was used to determine thoracic aortic blood flow before, during, and after five minutes of single-leg exercise (bicycle ergometer) in five healthy male subjects in the supine position. Resistance to blood flow in the lower body and mean aortic pressure decreased immediately at the onset of exercise, at the same time that thoracic aortic blood flow and heart rate increased. There was a further slow rise of heart rate, mean aortic pressure, and thoracic aortic blood flow along with a decrease of lower body resistance until fairly stable levels were reached after five minutes of exercise. After five and ten minutes' rest all values tended to return toward those observed in the control state. These data are consistent with the concept that baroreceptor activity may play an important part in the early cardiovascular responses to exercise in man. Most of the cardiovascular response to this exercise occurred in the first 30 seconds.