Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
Integration of Brain Tissue Saturation Monitoring in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure
Published on: October 1, 2019
Heterogeneous Regulation of Brain Blood Flow during Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise
A I Hirasawa1, Kohei Sato, Marina Yoneya
11Advanced Triage Team, Kyorin University, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, JAPAN; 2Research Institute of Physical Fitness, Japan Women's College of Physical Education, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, JAPAN; 3Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Wales, UNITED KINGDOM; 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama, JAPAN.
Purpose:
The present study was designed to explore to what extent low-intensity resistance exercise-induced acute hypertension influences intracranial cerebral perfusion.
Methods:
Twelve healthy participants performed one-legged static knee extension exercise at 30% maximal voluntary contraction for 2 min. Blood flow to the internal and external carotid arteries (ICA/ECA) were evaluated by duplex ultrasonography.
Results:
ICA blood flow increased and reached a plateau before stabilizing 60 s into exercise despite continued increases in cardiac output and arterial blood pressure. ICA conductance significantly decreased by -14.4% ±13.8% at the end of exercise (P < 0.01), whereas in contrast, ECA blood flow (P < 0.01) and conductance were shown to increase (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
The present findings demonstrate that low-intensity resistance exercise was associated with vasodilation of the ECA that was accompanied by vasoconstriction of the ICA. We propose that the heterogeneity and reciprocal regulation of intracranial cerebral blood flow reflect an adaptive neuroprotective mechanism that serves to protect the brain and associated vasculature against the structural damage associated with resistance exercise-induced hypertension.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:17Autoregulation of Blood Flow
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation....
01:20Exercise 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...
01:18Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure
Baroreceptor Reflex
Baroreceptors, located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch, detect changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, these stretch-sensitive receptors...
01:27Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
01:31Regulation of Heart Rates
The SNS increases heart rate through the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine, which act on beta-1 adrenergic receptors in the heart. This action increases the rate of depolarization in the sinoatrial (SA) node, the heart's...
01:27Regulation of the Cardiovascular System
The regulation of the cardiovascular system involves the autonomic nervous system (ANS), baroreceptors, and chemoreceptors, ensuring that heart rate and blood pressure are appropriately modulated in response to varying physiological demands.
The ANS comprises two main divisions: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system enhances...