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Gender differences in brachial blood flow during fatiguing intermittent handgrip
Yoko Saito1, Motoyuki Iemitsu, Takeshi Otsuki
1Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|March 5, 2008
Summary
Females exhibit greater blood flow and vascular conductance in working muscles than males during handgrip exercise, contributing to reduced skeletal muscle fatigue. This study investigated gender differences in muscle blood flow during intermittent maximal exercise.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Exercise Science
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Females generally demonstrate greater resistance to skeletal muscle fatigue compared to males.
- Blood flow to muscles is crucial for oxygen and nutrient delivery, potentially explaining gender-based differences in fatigue resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that females have higher conduit artery blood flow to working muscles than males during intermittent maximal handgrip exercise.
- To investigate the role of blood flow in the gender differences observed in skeletal muscle fatigue.
Main Methods:
- Eight healthy adult males and eight females performed intermittent maximal voluntary contractions using a handgrip device.
- Mean brachial arterial blood flow (MBABF) was measured using Doppler ultrasonography during exercise relaxation phases and recovery.
- Vascular conductance (VC) was calculated by normalizing MBABF to forearm volume and mean blood pressure.
Main Results:
- Females maintained higher relative muscle force (%MVC) and showed less decline in force, indicating reduced fatigue.
- Normalized exercise-induced increases in MBABF were significantly greater in females compared to males.
- Females demonstrated higher vascular conductance (VC) during the relaxation phases of exercise.
Conclusions:
- Females exhibit greater normalized mean brachial arterial blood flow (MBABF) and vascular conductance (VC) during intermittent maximal handgrip exercise.
- These findings suggest that enhanced blood flow contributes to the observed lower levels of skeletal muscle fatigue in females.
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