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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

A Method for Quantifying Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Using Accelerometers
Published on: April 21, 2017
Does limb angular motion raise limb arterial pressure?
D D Sheriff1, T M Mullin, B J Wong
1Department of Integrative Physiology, The University of Iowa, 424 Field House, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. don-sheriff@uiowa.edu
Aim:
Mechanical factors such as the muscle pump have been proposed to augment flow by several mechanisms. The potential for limb angular motion to augment local perfusion pressure (pressure = (1/2)rhor(2)omega(2), where rho is the fluid density, r the radius and omega the angular velocity) has been overlooked. We sought to test the hypothesis that limb angular motion augments limb arterial pressure.
Methods:
Nine human subjects performed horizontal shoulder flexion ( approximately +/-90 degrees at 0.75 Hz for 30 s). We measured finger arterial pressure (photoplethysmography) in the moving (Trial 1) and non-moving arm (Trial 2) in separate trials along with the pressure (strain gauge) generated at the fingers within a length of water-filled tubing mounted on the moving arm in both trials.
Results:
Arm swinging raised (P < 0.05) the mean pressure measured in the tubing by 11 +/- 2 and 14 +/- 2 mmHg (Trials 1 and 2 respectively). In response to exercise, the rise in mean finger arterial pressure in the swinging limb (18 +/- 3 mmHg, Trial 1) exceeded (P < 0.05) the rise in the resting limb (8 +/- 2 mmHg, Trial 2) by an amount similar to the 11 mmHg rise in pressure generated in the tubing in Trial 1.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the swinging of a limb creates centrifugal force (a biomechanical centrifuge) which imparts additional pressure to the arteries, but not the veins owing to the venous valves, which further widens the arterial-venous pressure difference.
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