Interactions between heart rate, psychomotor performance and perceived effort during physical work as influenced by beta-adrenergic blockade.
Effects of a single intravenous dose of propranolol (0,25 mg/kg body weight) were examined in 15 healthy male subjects who performed three reaction-time tasks of different complexity, while pedalling at five work loads on a cycle ergometer. Comparisons between measurements after propranolol and after injection of a placebo solution showed a pronounced reduction of heart rate and an increase in catecholamine excretion following propranolol. Comparisons of psychomotor performance showed no significan difference between the propranolol and placebo conditions. Nor did self-estimates of perceived physical and task-induced efforts reveal any significant effects of propranolol. The results support the notion that heart rate is not a prominent cue for perceived effort.
D000328:Adult; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000187:drug effects*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
D011433:Propranolol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine