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Biomedical subjects

D Essfeld

Publications and source records attributed to D Essfeld.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Early leg blood flow adjustment during dynamic foot plantarflexions in upright and supine body position.

The time courses of leg blood flow, systolic peak velocity, heart rate and blood pressure have been studied in nine health volunteers during dynamic exercise in upright sitting and in a tilted sitting body position. In both positions the subjects performed single and repeated foot plantarflexions against light and moderate forces corresponding to 5%-10% and 25%-30% of maximal voluntary contraction. The following measurement techniques were used: Doppler ultrasound method (blood flow parameters), FINAPRES device (arterial blood pressure) and standard ECG chest leads (heart rate). At rest the supine blood flow parameters measured in the arteria femoralis were significantly higher than in the upright sitting position. In both positions, even one single plantarflexion at the light exercise intensity caused significant increases in blood flow for almost 20s. The major part of the blood flow response to repeated contractions always occurred within the first 10s at virtually unchanged blood pressures. During this initial phase upright leg blood flow increased by factors of 2.5 (light exercise) and 3.1 (moderate exercise). The corresponding values in the tilted sitting posture were 1.7 and 1.9, respectively. The initial increases in the upright position were too large to be attributed only to the increase of the perfusion pressure caused by the withdrawal of the hydrostatic pressure on the venous side ("muscle pump"). Additional, fast decreases in local resistance have to be considered. In the supine posture effects on local resistance have to be taken into account for the early increases in blood flow since hydrostatic effects on arterio-venous pressure differences are too small. The present findings indicate that the effects of repeated contraction-relaxation cycles on the early adjustment of muscle blood flow are not sufficiently described by a "muscle pump" that induces only venous volume shifts and hydrostatic pressure changes. Additional fast effects on local resistance have to be taken into account.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

VO2 kinetics determined by PRBS-technique and sinusoidal testing.

The PRBS-technique is a useful tool to investigate muscle VO2 kinetics within the aerobic range. However, the validity of this kind of multi-frequent testing may be limited by non-linearities generated by the circulatory and pulmonary system. To check for such non-linear effects we compared the frequency responses computed from the multi-frequent PRBS with the results of pure sinusoidal testings (periods between 75 s and 450 s). Both methods show a good agreement for periods in the range between 113 s and 450 s. For shorter periods the results slightly diverged. The harmonic analyses of the sinusoidal data indicate increased stimulation of higher harmonics with increase in frequency. It is concluded that the VO2 in the lower frequency range shows only little, if any, influence of the circulatory and pulmonary system. Differences between the methods in the higher frequency range may be caused by non-linearities at the same or even lower frequencies. Therefore, periods shorter than 100 s are not suitable for assessing the muscle VO2 kinetics.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

VO2 and cardiac output during rest-exercise and exercise-exercise transients.

The dynamics of external gas exchange during exercise is influenced by pulmonary, cardiovascular, and metabolic factors. During rest-exercise transitions the interaction of these factors is more complex than during exercise-exercise transients. In the present study, we directly compared oxygen uptake (VO2) and cardiac output (CO) responses to step changes in exercise intensity. Nine students performed the following step changes on a bicycle ergometer in upright body position: rest-20W, 20W-80W, 20-140W. VO2 was measured breath-by-breath while CO was determined beat-by-beat by means of a Doppler device. The probe was positioned in the suprasternal notch and directed towards the aortic root. When starting from the 20 W baseline the VO2 responses showed a first, mainly cardio-vascular component over the first 30 s, followed by a second, metabolic component at constant CO. The rest-exercise transients displayed two additional early features. First, there was a very rapid VO2 increase during the initial breathing cycles of the on-transient. This was probably caused by events in the lungs or the pulmonary circulation. Second, the CO attained its steady-state level in about 10 s. This suggests a sudden increase in venous return. The present results generally show that both the VO2 and CO kinetics are faster when exercise in the upright body position is started from rest.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effect of graded changes in extracellular muscle volume on cardiovascular drives during static exercise.

The effects of graded changes in peripheral extracellular volume on heart rate and blood pressure during isometric exercise were studied in 12 healthy male subjects. Each subject performed four calf ergometer tests with each calf. In all tests, static plantar flexion of one foot was performed in a supine body position with the knee joint flexed to 90 degrees. After a pre-exercise period of 18 min, during which the calf volume was manipulated, the subjects had to counteract a spring force of 120 N for 8 min. In the pre-exercise period the peripheral extracellular volume of the calf muscle to be tested was manipulated in four ways. Test 1:15 min of rest in the exercise position. During the last 3.5 min, the calf volume was increased by venous congestion [80 mmHg (10.67 kPa) applied to the distal part of the thigh by pneumatic cuff]. Test 2: the same protocol as in test 1 but with 7.5-min venous congestion. Test 3:15 min of venous congestion. Test 4: the calf volume was decreased by a negative hydrostatic pressure for 15 min (calf raised about 40 cm above heart level). To clamp the changed calf volume, the thigh cuff was rapidly inflated to 300 mmHg (40.0 kPa) at the end of the volume manipulation and the subjects remained resting for a further 3 min. In test 4, the leg of the subject was passively brought into the exercise position. The occlusion was maintained until 2 min after exercise. The calf volume manipulation led to changes ranging from +105 ml (test 3) to -134 ml (test 4) as measured by water displacement plethysmography. The blood pressure response to exercise was inversely related to the calf volume changes while the heart rate response during exercise showed no clearcut relationship to the pretreatments.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effects of microgravity on interstitial muscle receptors affecting heart rate and blood pressure during static exercise.

Afferent nerve fibers from receptors situated in the interstitium of skeletal muscles can induce cardiovascular reflexes. It has been shown that these interstitial muscle receptors are also sensitive to the local state of hydration: increased heart rates and blood pressure values were seen during dynamic and static exercise after local dehydration on earth. Since weightlessness leads to a persisting fluid loss in the lower part of the body, we hypothesized that leg exercise in space would augment heart rate and blood pressure responses to a similar extent as during local, interstitial dehydration on earth. Initial measurements during weightlessness were obtained in one subject after 6 days of space flight. Heart rate and blood pressure responses to light static foot plantar flexion (18% of maximal voluntary contraction) were recorded in two sessions. To eliminate the influence of muscle perfusion, exercise was performed during a period of arterial occlusion obtained by means of pneumatic cuffs at mid-thigh level. Identical protocols were used in the pre- and postflight controls, which were performed both in the sitting posture and in a -90 degrees tilted sitting posture assumed 30-40 min before arterial occlusion. During weightlessness the exercise responses of heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure closely followed the tracings obtained with the tilted sitting posture on ground. The response amplitudes in these states of reduced lower limb volumes (about 20/min and 20 mmHg, respectively) exceeded the responses in the supine position by a factor of at least 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1992

Influence of body position and pre-exercise activity on cardiac output and oxygen uptake following step changes in exercise intensity.

Parallel measurements of breath-by-breath oxygen uptake, cardiac output (Doppler technique), blood pressure (Finapres technique) and heart rate were performed in nine subjects during cycle ergometer exercise in the upright and supine positions. Transients were monitored during power steps starting from and leading to either rest or lower levels of exercise intensity. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and cardiac output kinetics were markedly faster than in all other conditions when exercise was started from rest. In contrast to exercise-exercise on steps, the computed arteriovenous difference in O2 content increased almost immediately in this situation, indicating that not only the additional energy expenditure due to the acceleration of the flywheel but also an increased venous admixture from non-exercising parts of the body contributed to the early kinetics. The off kinetics generally showed a more uniform pattern and did not simply mirror the on transients. The present findings indicate that transitions from rest should be avoided when muscle VO2 kinetics are to be assessed on the basis of VO2 measurements at the mouth.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Blood pressure and heart rate during rest-exercise and exercise-rest transitions.

The transients of mean arterial blood pressure (BPa) and heart rate (fc) during rest-exercise and exercise-rest transitions have been studied in six healthy sport students. After 5 min of rest in an upright position on a cycle ergometer they exercised for 15 min and remained seated for a further 5 min. The subjects exercised at four different constant intensities (40 W, 80 W, 120 W, 160 W) in random order separated by at least 24 h. The BPa was determined by a noninvasive and continuous method. During the first minute of exercise, three phases of response could be distinguished, with the first two showing no clear relationship to intensity. Phase 1 consisted of simultaneous increases in both fc and BP during the first 6 s. In phase 2, BPa decreased while fc continued to increase. During phase 3, BPa and fc approximated constant values or a linear increase. Both parameters showed no comparable intensity-independent reactions during the off-transients. In conclusion, during the first 15 s of rest-exercise transitions there seems to be a fast and uniform cardiovascular drive which overrode other influences on fc.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Dynamic linearity of VO2 responses during aerobic exercise.

The multifrequent pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) technique is a useful tool for studying oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics within the aerobic range. However, the validity of this multifrequent test may be limited by nonlinearities generated by the circulatory and pulmonary system. To check for such nonlinear effects, we compared the frequency responses computed from two PRBS protocols with the results of pure sinusoidal frequencies varying in amplitude and mean values (periods between 50 s and 450 s). According to our results the VO2 frequency response does not seem to depend on the type of testing--PRBS or sine--or the changes within each test, i.e. mean power and power amplitude of the sine tests and the switching frequency of the PRBS. In the range of higher frequencies small differences between the test conditions may have been obscured by the greater scatter of dynamic responses. It was concluded that the VO2 frequency response was quasi-linear for periods down to the least 100 s. However, even in this range nonlinearities can be provoked by rest-exercise transitions, by a varying contribution of lactate or by an insufficient noise reduction.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Influence of calf muscle contractions on blood flow parameters measured in the arteria femoralis.

Ten healthy male subjects performed single (< 1 s), sustained and intermittent plantarflexions (up to 40 s) of one foot in sitting exercise position. Two different absolute forces were applied, which, in terms of maximal voluntary contraction, ranged between 5%-10% and 25%-30%. Blood velocity was continuously recorded in the proximal arteria femoralis by means of the Doppler technique. Heart rate (HR) and mean blood pressure (BP) were simultaneously determined using standard ECG and the FINAPRES method. Despite the distance between the proximal arteria femoralis and the exercising muscle the Doppler data showed: effects of single contractions on the individual Doppler data, the influence of consecutive contractions, variation with exercise intensity and differences between sustained and intermittent contractions. In all exercise tests there was an immediate significant increase in blood velocity at the onset of exercise. The major part (range 52%-73%) of the response to the 40 s tests was seen during the first 6 s. It was followed by a second phase of adjustment which depended on the type of exercise and exercise intensity. The single plantarflexion provoked increases in blood velocity for about 20 s. A comparison of HR and BP tracings with the Doppler data demonstrated the importance of local mechanical factors for the perfusion of the exercising muscle. The early adjustment of muscle perfusion were not correlated to the systemic blood pressure and, therefore, appeared to be related to muscle pump effects. The subsequent flow values were influenced by passive vessel compression and changes in local vasomotor tone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A model for studying the distortion of muscle oxygen uptake patterns by circulation parameters.

The transmission of muscle oxygen uptake (VO2) patterns to the pulmonary site is a basically nonlinear process during unsteady state exercise. We were mainly interested in three questions concerning the dynamic relationship between power input and pulmonary VO2 output: 1. To what extent can linear system analysis be applied? 2. What is the relative influence of muscle VO2 on pulmonary VO2 as compared to other parameters such as muscle perfusion kinetics? 3. To what extent does pulmonary VO2 reflect muscle VO2? Investigations were performed by means of a mathematical model including a muscle compartment and two serial, flow-varying time delays. The non-exercising parts of the body were incorporated as one term for perfusion and one for VO2. Parameters were adjusted so as to represent a reference state of aerobic exercise while monofrequent sinusoidal changes in aerobic metabolism were used as forcing signals. The following answers were derived from the simulations: 1. Non-linear distortions of the VO2 signals are negligible provided that analyses are not driven too far into the higher frequency range (periods shorter than about 1 min). 2. Variations of muscle VO2 kinetics have greater effects on pulmonary VO2 than changes of perfusion kinetics or venous volume. This finding applies irrespective of whether or not pulmonary VO2 closely reflects muscle VO2. 3. Small differences in the time constants for muscle perfusion and muscle VO2 are a major prerequisite if pulmonary VO2 kinetics are to be taken as correct estimates of muscle VO2 kinetics. High basal muscle perfusion, small perfusion changes and small venous volumes between muscle and lungs are further factors reducing dynamic distortions of the muscle VO2 signal.

Exercise↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of V'O2 kinetics in upright and supine position.

Oxygen uptake (V'O2) kinetics during exercise depends in particular on muscular aerobic capacity and cardio-vascular parameters. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of body position on the V'O2 kinetics as determined by means of the PRBS technique. 9 healthy male volunteers performed bicycle ergometer exercise in both upright and supine position. No significant changes were seen in normalized gains and phase shifts of the power-V'O2-relationship. It is concluded that the differences in venous blood volume distribution and cardiac output associated with upright and supine position do not have major effects on power- V'O2-gains.

Cardiac Output↗
PubMed1991

Changes in extracellular muscle volume affect heart rate and blood pressure responses to static exercise.

To investigate the effect of microgravity-induced peripheral extracellular fluid reductions on heart rate and blood pressure during isometric exercise, six healthy male subjects performed three calf ergometer tests with different extracellular volumes of working muscles. In all tests, body positions during exercise were identical (supine with the knee joint flexed to 90 degrees). After a pre-exercise period of 25 min, during which calf volumes were manipulated, subjects had to counteract an external force of 180 N for 5 min. During the pre-exercise period three different protocols were applied. Test A: Subjects rested in the exercise position; test B: Body position was the same as in A but calf volume was increased by venous congestion (cuffs inflated to 80 mm Hg); test C: Calf volumes were decreased by a negative hydrostatic pressure (calves about 40 cm above heart level with the subjects supine). To clamp the changed calf volumes in tests B and C, cuffs were inflated to 300 mm Hg 5 min before the onset on exercise. This occlusion was maintained until termination of exercise. Compared to tests A and B, the reduced volume of test C led to significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure during exercise. Oxygen uptake did not exceed resting levels in B and C until cuffs were deflated, indicating that exclusively calf muscles contributed to the neurogenic peripheral drive. It is concluded that changes in extracellular muscle volume have to be taken into account when comparing heart rate and blood pressure during 1g- and microgravity-exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Test of exercise experiments proposed for the MIR '92 mission.

During exercise, heart rate and blood pressure drives can be elicited by receptors situated in the interstitial space of the muscle. It was recently shown that these receptors are sensitive to the local state of hydration: Increased reflex responses during dehydration were shown in rat preparates as well as in humans during dynamic and static exercise. Weightlessness could affect these receptor mechanisms through the redistribution of body fluids and through secondary changes in the interstitial structure. To investigate such effects we suggested to determine heart rate and blood pressure responses to light isometric calf exercise at different calf volumes during the MIR '92 mission (experiment ISX). The First North Sea Parabolic Flight campaign provided an opportunity to test the setup and some operational aspects of this experiment. The experience of this campaign led to some modifications of the original setup.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of arterial, end-tidal and transcutaneous PCO2 during moderate exercise and external CO2 loading in humans.

Static relationships between arterial, transcutaneous and end-tidal PCO2 (PaCO2, PtcCO2, PetCO2) as well as the dynamic relationship between PetCO2 and PtcCO2 were studied during moderate bicycle ergometer exercise with and without external CO2 loading. The exercise pattern consisted of 5-min intervals of constant power at 40 W and 100 W and 900 s of randomised changes between these two power levels. The external CO2 loading was achieved by means of controlled variations of inspiratory gas compositions aimed at a constant PetCO2 of 6.5 kPa (49 mm Hg). The PetO2 was regulated at 17.3 kPa (130 mm Hg). Under steady-state conditions all PCO2 parameters showed close linear relationships. PaCO2/PtcCO2 was near to identity while the PetCO2 systematically overestimated changes in PaCO2l No relationship showed a significant influence of the exercise intensity. Transients of PtcCO2 are considerably slower than PetCO2 transients. The dynamic relationship between both parameters was found to be independent of whether internal or external CO2 loadings were applied. It is concluded that the combination of PetCO2 and PtcCO2 measurements allows an improved non-invasive assessment of PaCO2. While PetCO2 better reflects the transients, PtcCO2 can be employed to determine slow changes of the absolute PaCO2.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Ventilatory effects of hypercapnic end-tidal PCO2 clamps during aerobic exercise of varying intensity.

Nine subjects performed a sequence of sustained and randomised changes between 40 W and 100 W on a cycle ergometer while the end-tidal PO2 was kept close to 17.3 kPa (130 mm Hg) by means of a dynamic forcing technique (reference experiment). In a second series inspiratory CO2 was additionally manipulated so as to hold end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2) near 6.5 kPa (49 mm Hg; 'CO2-clamp' experiment). By this forcing PETCO2 oscillations were attenuated and more evenly distributed over the frequency range. Ventilation (VT) responded to this manoeuvre with an upward trend that could not be ascribed to a slow CO2-response component, changes in metabolic rate or a dissociation of end-tidal and arterial PCO2. VT differences between reference and CO2-clamp experiments were abolished within a 3-min period following the termination of the external CO2 control. The present results suggest that the CO2-H+ stimulus plays a major role in adjusting ventilation when exercise intensity is decreased. The underlying CO2 effect appears to be neither additive nor bi-directionally symmetrical.

Arteries↗
PubMed1990

Reduction in extracellular muscle volume increases heart rate and blood pressure response to isometric exercise.

To investigate the effect of local dehydration on heart rate and blood pressure during static exercise, six healthy male subjects performed exercise of the calf muscles with different extracellular volumes of the working muscles. Exercise consisted of 5 min of static calf muscle contractions at about 10% of maximal voluntary contraction. The body position during exercise was identical in all tests, i.e. supine with the knee joint 90 degrees flexed. During a 25-min pre-exercise period three different protocols were employed to manipulate the calf volume. In test A the subjects rested in the exercise position; in test B the body position was the same as in A but calf volumes were increased by venous congestion [cuffs inflated to 10.67 kPa (80 mmHg)]; in test C the calf volumes were decreased by lifting the calves about 40 cm above heart level with the subjects supine. To clamp the changed calf volumes in tests B and C, cuffs were inflated to 300 mmHg 5 min before the onset of exercise. This occlusion was maintained for 1 min after the termination of exercise. Compared to tests A and B, the reduced volume of test C led to significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure during exercise. Oxygen uptake did not exceed resting levels in tests B and C until the cuffs were deflated, indicating that only calf muscles contributed to the neurogenic peripheral drive. It is concluded that extracellular muscle volume plays a significant role in adjusting heart rate and blood pressure during static exercise.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1990

The strategic role of exercise devices in manned spaceflight.

Exercise appears in various contexts during spaceflight. It serves as a key countermeasure against adverse physiological adaptation processes; it also plays a role in life sciences research as reference state or stimulus. Further aspects concern human factors, recreational activities, health monitoring and training for emergency egress and extra-vehicular activities. Current approaches rely on conventional ergometers, they add rather than integrate training programs, and they tend to disregard applications other than "countermeasures". Two major consequences are an appreciable impact on available crew-time and an unsolved problem: Exercise countermeasures use extrapolations of 1g-physiology in order to eliminate what physiologists would like to study: adaptation to weightlessness. New concepts and devices are required to reconcile such conflicting demands and to reduce time consumption for physical training. Key elements are an improved simulation of terrestrial locomotion and a recombination of work and physical exercise. The GRASIM device will be presented as an example for a new generation of multi-purpose "exercisers".

Adaptation, Physiological↗