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Sex-dependent impact of a short rest after lunch on hemodynamics as assessed by Doppler sonography

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Taking a short rest after lunch suppresses increases in blood flow to the digestive organs and maintains blood flow to the brain in the afternoon, possibly providing beneficial effects in preventing post-prandial drowsiness. The present study investigated sex-dependent influences on changes in hemodynamics produced by taking a short rest after lunch.

Methods

Subjects comprised 20 healthy young adults (10 men, 10 women; mean age 21 ± 1 years). Doppler sonography was performed to measure blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and common carotid artery (CCA) before and after lunch every hour on each day, with and without a 15-min rest with eyes closed after lunch. Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were also measured.

Results

For both men and women, peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the SMA was suppressed by taking a rest. PSV in the CCA in men was increased at 0.5 h after lunch in the resting condition but was decreased in the non-resting condition (median 109%, interquartile range [IQR] 102–120% vs. median 98%, IQR 90–107%; P = 0.037). No such differences were observed in women. Although post-prandial increases in HR were observed in women, a similar increase was only found for men in the resting condition.

Conclusion

An increase in CCA blood flow was observed only in men. The present study suggests that a short rest after lunch could better promote the maintenance of blood flow to the brain in men than in women.

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Data availability

The datasets that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material.

Abbreviations

BP:

Blood pressure

CCA:

Common carotid artery

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

EDV:

End-diastolic velocity

IQR:

Interquartile range

MV:

Mean velocity

PSV:

Peak systolic velocity

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

SMA:

Superior mesenteric artery

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a research fund from Kyorin University Faculty of Health Sciences (Grant no. R401010001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Technology, Kyorin University Faculty of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan

    Shohei Shibasaki, Yoriko Sei & Keiichiro Harashima

  2. Department of Clinical Engineering, Kyorin University Faculty of Health Sciences, 5-4-1 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8612, Japan

    Tomonori Kishino & Konomi Sakata

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroaki Ohnishi & Takashi Watanabe

Authors
  1. Shohei Shibasaki
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  2. Tomonori Kishino
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  3. Yoriko Sei
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  4. Keiichiro Harashima
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  5. Konomi Sakata
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  6. Hiroaki Ohnishi
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  7. Takashi Watanabe
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Contributions

SS conducted data acquisition, performed statistical analyses, and wrote the manuscript. TK contributed to the conception and design of the study, and wrote the manuscript. YS, KH, and KS provided suggestions during the study process. HO revised the manuscript. TW gave advice on the study and manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomonori Kishino.

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The authors have no conflict of interest.

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Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Shibasaki, S., Kishino, T., Sei, Y. et al. Sex-dependent impact of a short rest after lunch on hemodynamics as assessed by Doppler sonography. Eur J Appl Physiol 124, 873–880 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05316-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05316-y

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