Received January 27, 2006
Revised March 6, 2006
Accepted after revision April 27, 2006

¹ The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Dept. of Anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet
² The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Dept. of Anaesthesia, Rigshopsitalet
³ Depts of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshopsitalet
⁴ Dept. of Medical Physiology
⁵ Brunel University

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: stefanos.volianitis{at}excite.com.

	Abstract

During arm exercise (A) mean arterial pressure (MAP) is higher than during leg exercise (L). We evaluated the effect of central blood volume on the MAP response to exercise by determining plasma ANP during moderate upright and supine A, L and combined arm and leg exercise (A+L) in 11 male subjects. In the upright position MAP was higher during A than at rest (102 ± 6 vs. 89 ± 6 mmHg; mean ± SD) and L (95 ±7 mmHg; P<0.05), but similar to that during A+L (100 ± 6 mmHg). There was no significant change in plasma ANP during A while it was higher during L and A+L (42.7 ± 12.2 and 43.3 ± 17.1 pg ml-1, respectively) than at rest (34.6 ± 14.3 pg ml-1, P<0.001). In the supine position MAP was also higher during A than at rest (100 ± 7 vs. 86 ± 5 mmHg) and during L (92 ± 5 mmHg; P<0.01) but similar to that during A+L (102 ± 6 mmHg). During supine A plasma ANP was higher than at rest and during L but lower than during A+L (73.1 ± 22.5 vs. 47.2 ± 15.9, 67.4 ± 18.3 and 78.1 ± 25.0 pg ml-1, respectively; P<0.05). Thus, upright A was the exercise mode that did not enhance plasma ANP suggesting that central blood volume did not increase. The results suggest that the similar blood pressure response to A and A+L may relate to the enhanced central blood volume following the addition of leg to arm exercise.

Key Words: Blood pressure, Exercise, Peptide