Venous blood gas and metabolite response to low-intensity muscle contractions with external limb compression

Yasuda, Tomohiro; Abe, Takashi; Brechue, William F.; Iida, Haruko; Takano, Haruhito; Meguro, Kentaro; Kurano, Miwa; Fujita, Satoshi; Nakajima, Toshiaki

doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2010.01.016

« Previous Next »Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental
Volume 59, Issue 10 , Pages 1510-1519, October 2010

Venous blood gas and metabolite response to low-intensity muscle contractions with external limb compression

Tomohiro Yasuda
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Corresponding author.
Takashi Abe
- Institute of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
William F. Brechue
- Center for Physical Development Excellence, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, United States
Haruko Iida
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Haruhito Takano
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Kentaro Meguro
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Miwa Kurano
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Satoshi Fujita
- Institute of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
Toshiaki Nakajima
- Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Received 12 September 2009; accepted 21 January 2010. published online 04 March 2010.

Abstract

The effect of low-intensity resistance exercise with external limb compression (100 [EC100] and 160 [EC160] mm Hg) on limb blood flow and venous blood gas-metabolite response was investigated and compared with that of high-intensity resistance exercise (no external compression). Unilateral elbow flexion muscle contractions were performed at 20% (75 repetitions, 4 sets, 30-second rest intervals) and 70% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM; 3 sets, each set was until failure, 3-minute rest intervals). Precontraction brachial arterial blood flow (Doppler ultrasound) was reduced with EC100 or EC160 (56% and 39% of baseline value, respectively) compared with no external compression (control). At 20% 1-RM, brachial arterial blood flow increased after contractions performed with EC160 (190%), but not with the others. Decreases in venous oxygen partial pressure (P_vO₂) and venous oxygen saturation (S_vO₂) were greater during EC100 and EC160 than control (mean [SE]: P_vO₂, 28 [3] vs 26 [2] vs 33 [2] mm Hg; S_vO₂, 41% [5%] vs 34% [4%] vs 52% [5%], respectively). Changes in venous pH (pH_v), venous carbon dioxide partial pressure (P_vCO₂), and venous lactate concentration ([L⁻]_v) were greater with EC160 than EC100 and/or control (pH_v, 7.19 [0.01] vs 7.25 [0.01] vs 7.27 [0.02]; P_vCO₂, 72 [3] vs 64 [2] vs 60 [3] mm Hg; [L⁻]_v, 5.4 [0.6] vs 3.7 [0.4] vs 3.0 [0.4] mmol/L, respectively). Seventy percent 1-RM contractions resulted in greater changes in pH_v (7.14 [0.02]), P_vCO₂ (91 [5] mm Hg), and [L⁻]_v (7.0 [0.5] mmol/L) than EC100 and EC160, but P_vO₂ (30 [4] mm Hg) and S_vO₂ (40% [3%]) were similar. In conclusion, changes in pH_v, P_vCO₂, and [L⁻]_v, but not in P_vO₂ and S_vO₂, are sensitive to changes in relative, “internal” intensity of low-intensity muscle contractions caused by reduced blood flow (EC160) or high-intensity muscle contractions. Given the magnitude of the changes in pH_v, P_vCO₂, and [L⁻]_v, it appears plausible that they may be involved in stimulating the observed increase in muscle activation via group III and IV afferents.