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Possible effects of short rest after lunch on hemodynamics in the afternoon

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Drowsiness is often experienced in the afternoon after lunch. Decreases in blood flow to the brain secondary to increases in blood flow to the digestive organs after food intake could represent an underlying cause. As various beneficial effects of short rests on mental activities have been reported, the present study investigated hemodynamics using Doppler sonography of the common carotid artery (CCA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) after lunch, comparing resting and non-resting cases.

Methods

Subjects comprised 24 healthy young adults (10 men, 14 women; mean age 22 ± 1 years). Sonography was performed to measure blood flow before and after lunch on each day, with and without a 15-min lying rest with eyes closed after lunch in each subject.

Results

The timing of the peak velocity–time integral in the SMA in resting cases was delayed to 1.5 h after lunch compared to 0.5 h in non-resting cases. Although end-diastolic velocity in the CCA decreased after lunch, this decrease was suppressed in resting cases compared to non-resting cases even 4.5 h after lunch (median 96%, interquartile range [IQR] 83–102% vs. median 87%, IQR 77–92%; P = 0.037). Mean velocity (MV) in the CCA maintained unchanged after lunch in resting cases (P = 0.318), whereas non-resting cases showed decreased MV after lunch (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that a short lying rest with eyes closed suppresses increases in blood flow to the digestive organ and maintains blood flow to the brain after lunch. These hemodynamic changes might help explain the benefits of afternoon rests.

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Abbreviations

BP:

Blood pressure

CCA:

Common carotid artery

CCK:

Cholecystokinin

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

EDV:

End-diastolic velocity

HR:

Heart rate

IQR:

Interquartile range

MV:

Mean velocity

PI:

Pulsatility index

PSV:

Peak systolic velocity

RI:

Resistive index

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

SD:

Standard deviation

SMA:

Superior mesenteric artery

SV:

Stroke volume

VTI:

Velocity time integral

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

    Hinako Nakao, Chihiro Kashiwakura, Shohei Shibasaki, Keiichiro Harashima, Satoshi Nakajima & Tomonori Kishino

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan

    Hiroaki Ohnishi & Takashi Watanabe

Authors
  1. Hinako Nakao
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  2. Chihiro Kashiwakura
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  3. Shohei Shibasaki
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  4. Keiichiro Harashima
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  5. Satoshi Nakajima
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  6. Hiroaki Ohnishi
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  7. Takashi Watanabe
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  8. Tomonori Kishino
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Contributions

TK contributed to the conception and design of the study, and wrote the manuscript. HN and CK acquired the data. SS performed the statistical analyses, and created the tables and figures. KH and SN provided suggestions regarding techniques for the sonographic exams during the study. HO revised the manuscript. TW gave advice on the study and the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tomonori Kishino.

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Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Nakao, H., Kashiwakura, C., Shibasaki, S. et al. Possible effects of short rest after lunch on hemodynamics in the afternoon. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 523–530 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04852-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04852-9

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