title: Limb vasodilatory capacity and venous capacitance of trained runners and untrained males.
abstract: Aerobically trained athletes possess enhanced vasodilatory capacity and venous capacitance in their exercising muscles. However, whether they also possess these characteristics in their non-specific exercising muscles is undetermined. This study examined vasodilatory capacity and venous capacitance of specific (legs) and non-specific exercising muscles (arms) of ten trained runners and ten active but untrained males aged 18-35 years. Venous occlusion plethysmography determined baseline and peak blood flow after 5 min of reactive hyperaemia. Forearm and leg venous capacitance were determined as the difference between baseline and 2 min of venous occlusion at 50 mmHg. During reactive hyperaemia, trained runners had higher leg (48.4+/-5.3 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1)) and arm (40.8+/-2.1 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1)) vasodilatory capacity compared to the untrained (leg: 37.3+/-2.5 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1); arm: 34.2+/-2.2 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1); P<0.05), and higher calf vascular conductance (0.51+/-0.06 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1).mmHg(-1) versus 0.35+/-0.03 ml.100 ml tissue(-1).min(-1).mmHg(-1); P<0.05). The trained also had higher venous capacitance in both arms (3.5+/-0.2 ml 100.ml(-1)) and legs (4.8+/-0.1 ml.100 ml(-1)) compared to the untrained (3.0+/-0.2 ml 100.ml(-1); 4.2+/-0.2 ml.100 ml(-1); P<0.05). These findings show that vasculature adaptations to running occur in both specific and non-specific exercising muscles.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia. y.boutcher@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Yati N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Boutcher
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Boutcher
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D018924:Vascular Capacitance / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*