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Spontaneous cardiac baroreflex sensitivity is enhanced during post-exercise ischemia in men but not in women

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the effect of isolated muscle metaboreflex activation on spontaneous cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS), and to characterize the potential sex-related differences in this interaction in young healthy subjects.

Methods

40 volunteers (20 men and 20 women, age: 22 ± 0.4 year) were recruited. After 5-min rest period, the subjects performed 90 s of isometric handgrip exercise at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction followed by 3 min of post-exercise ischemia (PEI). Beat-to-beat heart rate and arterial blood pressure were continuously measured by finger photopletysmography. Spontaneous cBRS was assessed using the sequence technique and heart rate variability was measured in time (RMSSD—standard deviation of the RR intervals) and frequency domains (LF—low and HF—high frequency power).

Results

Resting cBRS was similar between men and women. During PEI, cBRS was increased in men (Δ3.0 ± 1.1 ms mmHg− 1, P = 0.03) but was unchanged in women (Δ-0.04 ± 1.0 ms mmHg− 1, P = 0.97). In addition, RMSSD and HF power of heart rate variability increased in women (Δ7.4 ± 2.6 ms, P = 0.02; Δ373.4 ± 197.3 ms2; P = 0.04, respectively) and further increased in men (Δ26.4 ± 7.1 ms, P < 0.01; Δ1874.9 ± 756.2 ms2; P = 0.02, respectively). Arterial blood pressure increased from rest during handgrip exercise and remained elevated during PEI in both groups, however, these responses were attenuated in women.

Conclusions

These findings allow us to suggest a sex-related difference in spontaneous cBRS elicited by isolated muscle metaboreflex activation in healthy humans.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analyses of variance

BMI:

Body mass index

BSA:

Body surface area

cBRS:

Cardiac baroreflex sensitivity

CI:

Cardiac index

CO:

Cardiac output

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

HF:

High frequency

HR:

Heart rate

HRV:

Heart rate variability

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

IHG:

Isometric handgrip

LF:

Low frequency

MBP:

Mean blood pressure

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

NK1-R:

Neurokinin-1 receptor

NTS:

Nucleus tractus solitaries

PEI:

Post-exercise ischemia

RMSSD:

Root of the mean of the sum of successive differences

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

SV:

Stroke volume

TVC:

Total vascular conductance

TVCI:

Vascular conductance index

VLF:

Very low frequency

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Acknowledgements

The time and effort expended by all the volunteer subjects is greatly appreciated.

Funding

This study was supported by grants and scholarships from the Brazilian National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Foundation for Research Support of Federal District (FAPDF), Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and partially supported by an American Physiological Society Arthur C. Guyton Awards for Excellence in Integrative Physiology (to L.C. Vianna).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NeuroVASQ-Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Physical Education, University of Brasília, Darcy Ribeiro Campus, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Milena Samora, André L. Teixeira, Jeann L. Sabino-Carvalho & Lauro C. Vianna

Authors
  1. Milena Samora
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  2. André L. Teixeira
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  3. Jeann L. Sabino-Carvalho
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  4. Lauro C. Vianna
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Contributions

MS and LCV conceived and designed research. MS, ALT, JLSC and LCV performed experiments. MS, ALT and LCV analyzed data. MS, ALT and LCV interpreted results of experiments. MS prepared figures. MS, ALT and LCV drafted manuscript. All authors read and approved final version of manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lauro C. Vianna.

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None of the authors declares a conflict of interest.

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Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Samora, M., Teixeira, A.L., Sabino-Carvalho, J.L. et al. Spontaneous cardiac baroreflex sensitivity is enhanced during post-exercise ischemia in men but not in women. Eur J Appl Physiol 119, 103–111 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-4004-y

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