[Cardiovascular effects of isometric contraction of the masticatory muscles in humans]

The cardiovascular responses to static exercise do not include, until now, studies about masticatory muscles. In this work the cardiocirculatory effects of the isometric contraction of masticatory muscles were compared with those evoked by the handgrip exercise. Non invasive and, in one case, invasive (aortic catheterism) monitoring of arterial blood pressure was performed. The findings show that mean blood pressure and especially heart rate do not increase during static exercise of masticatory muscles as reported in the literature for other muscular groups: it is suggested that the peculiar architecture of masticatory muscles may explain the absence of significant cardiovascular response to their isometric contraction.