Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Doppler Ultrasound-Based Leg Blood Flow Assessment During Single-Leg Knee-Extensor Exercise in an Uncontrolled Setting
Published on: December 15, 2023
Augmented limb blood flow during neurovascular stress in physically fit women
Rod K Dishman1, Erica M Jackson, Yoshio Nakamura
1Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-6554, USA. rdishman@uga.edu
Abstract:
The study examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness modifies cardiovascular responses by normotensive men and women during the Stroop color-word interference test. Independent of age and an estimate of body fatness, fitness level was positively related (R² = .39 and .51) to increases in limb blood flow and vascular conductance, coherent with cardiac-vagal withdrawal and a decrease in heart period, among women but not men. Fitness was unrelated to changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressures and muscle sympathetic nerve activity. The augmented hemodynamic responses among fitter women were not consistent with passive vasodilation via withdrawal of sympathetic neural tone. The results encourage further gender comparisons testing whether fitness augments limb blood flow during mental stress by neurohumoral and flow-mediated vasodilatory mechanisms or by increased cardiac output.
More Related Videos
09:04Skeletal Muscle Neurovascular Coupling, Oxidative Capacity, and Microvascular Function with 'One Stop Shop' Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: February 20, 2018
04:44Near-Infrared Spectroscopy During Reactive Hyperemia for the Assessment of Lower Limb Vascular Function
Published on: March 22, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Blood Flow
Autoregulation of Blood Flow
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation.
Arteries of Lower Limbs
Arteries of the Upper Limbs
Veins of Upper Limbs
The deep venous system is primarily composed of the ulnar and radial veins. The ulnar vein, which drains the fingers through the superficial palmar venous arches, and the radial vein, which serves the palms via the deep palmar...