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Heat stress attenuates the increase in arterial blood pressure during isometric handgrip exercise

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 113, pages 183–190 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine arterial blood pressure responses during isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise performed at increasing levels of heat stress. Ten male subjects performed 1 min of IHG exercise at 60 % of maximal voluntary contraction under no heat stress (NHS), moderate heat stress [MHS, 0.6 °C increase in esophageal temperature (T es)] and high heat stress (HHS, 1.4 °C increase in T es). For all conditions, IHG exercise significantly elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP) (NHS: 124 ± 6 vs. 90 ± 4 mmHg, MHS: 112 ± 6 vs. 89 ± 6 mmHg, HHS: 107 ± 7 vs. 91 ± 5 mmHg, P ≤ 0.05) and cardiac output (CO) (NHS: 9.0 ± 1.5 vs. 6.1 ± 0.6 L/min, MHS: 9.8 ± 1.8 vs. 7.6 ± 1.3 L/min, HHS: 10.0 ± 2.0 vs. 8.5 ± 1.9 L/min, P ≤ 0.05) relative to baseline, whereas no differences in total peripheral resistance (TPR) were observed (P > 0.05). However, the relative increases in MAP and CO were significantly reduced during MHS (MAP: 23 ± 6 mmHg, CO: 2.1 ± 0.9 L/min) and HHS (MAP: 16 ± 7 mmHg, CO: 1.5 ± 0.8 L/min) compared to NHS (34 ± 5 mmHg, CO: 2.9 ± 1.1 L/min, P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, these elevations were significantly attenuated during HHS compared to MHS (P ≤ 0.05). Our findings show that heat stress attenuates the increase in arterial blood pressure during isometric handgrip exercise and this attenuation is cardiac output dependent, since TPR did not change during exercise for all heat stress conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all the participants who volunteered for the present study. This study was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (RGPIN-298159-2009, held by Dr. Kenny) and Leaders Opportunity Fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (22529, held by Dr. Kenny). Dr. Kenny is supported by a University of Ottawa Research Chair in Environmental Physiology. Mr. Konrad Binder (MSc) was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Graduate Fellowship.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Affiliations

  1. Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University, Room 367, Montpetit Hall, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Konrad Binder, Daniel Gagnon, Aaron G. Lynn & Glen P. Kenny

  2. Laboratory for Applied Human Physiology, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan

    Narihiko Kondo

Authors
  1. Konrad Binder
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  2. Daniel Gagnon
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  3. Aaron G. Lynn
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  4. Narihiko Kondo
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  5. Glen P. Kenny
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Correspondence to Glen P. Kenny.

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Communicated by Nigel A.S. Taylor.

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Binder, K., Gagnon, D., Lynn, A.G. et al. Heat stress attenuates the increase in arterial blood pressure during isometric handgrip exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 183–190 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2428-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2428-3

Keywords

  • Cardiovascular
  • Hyperthermia
  • Thermoregulation
  • Mean arterial pressure
  • Cardiac output
  • Vascular resistance