The effectiveness of compression garments and lower limb exercise on post-exercise blood pressure regulation in orthostatically intolerant athletes.
OBJECTIVE
Orthostatic intolerance (OI) may occur postexercise in normotensive individuals due to gravitational stress and removal of muscle pump.


METHODS
Six subjects performed 3 maximal bouts of exercise associated with (1) no intervention (CONTROL) (initial trial), (2) with use of lower limb compression garment (TROU), and (3) lower limb exercise (HEEL).


METHODS
In each trial, 10 minutes of supine rest was followed by 10 minutes of standing before and immediately after maximal exercise.


METHODS
All subjects were OI during the CONTROL trial.


METHODS
In the TROU trial, the compression garment was worn during the supine and standing phases. In the HEEL trial, heel raises were performed every 60 seconds during standing periods.


METHODS
Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were continuously recorded, and stroke, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were estimated (PortAPres, TNO Biomedical Instrumentation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Positional changes were compared preexercise and postexercise in CONTROL, TROU, and HEEL via 2-way analysis of variance.


RESULTS
All 6 subjects experienced OI in the CONTROL trial, but this was reduced to 2 after the HEEL and 1 after the TROU. Minor increases in systolic blood pressure (CONTROL, 3 +/- 11; TROU, 12 +/- 18; HEEL, 7 +/- 15 mm Hg) and heart rate (CONTROL, 10 +/- 12; TROU, 16 +/- 8; HEEL, 15 +/- 13 beats.min) were observed, but total peripheral resistance did not alter significantly during orthostasis postexercise (CONTROL, 0.462 +/- 0.351; TROU, 0.325 +/- 0.212; HEEL, 0.746 +/- 0.412 medical units).


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that simple methods/practices adopted by athletes can have a positive impact on OI.
Privett
Sheena E
SE
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
George
Keith P
KP
Whyte
Gregory P
GP
Cable
Nigel T
NT
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002302:Cardiac Output; D003971:Diastole; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D054971:Orthostatic Intolerance / Q000628:therapy*; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology