Blood pressure changes during physical exercise (the beat phenomenon).
We have previously reported that blood pressure during running shows a peculiar pattern attributable to the beat phenomenon. To elucidate the mechanism behind this phenomenon in 10 amateur athletes, intra-arterial blood pressure was continuously recorded using the Oxford technique. During the run, each athlete carried on his chest a container filled with saline kept under pressure, connected to a second transducer. In the container, pressure waves ranging in amplitude from +/- 10 to +/- 62 mmHg were recorded. Their frequency was equal to that of the athletes' strides. When these waves were added by computer to the blood pressure tracing recorded during a bicycle ergometric test, the resultant harmonic proved to be similar to the tracing observed during running. The present results demonstrate that the running-induced blood pressure pattern is the sum of the accessory wave generated by the rhythmic aortic shocks produced by running locomotion and the normal sphygmic wave.
Palatini
P
P
Clinica Medica I, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Mormino
P
P
Mos
L
L
Di Marco
A
A
Munari
L
L
Del Torre
M
M
Valle
F
F
Pessina
A C
AC
Dal Palù
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004548:Elasticity; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010507:Periodicity; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012420:Running