[Autonomic reactions arising during skeletal muscle contraction in freely moving cats]

Cardiovascular responses, evoked by n. gastrocnemius stimulation, were studied in intact cats with implanted electrodes. Non-noxious m. gastrocnemius contraction caused a rise of blood pressure and tachycardia. During curarization painless and threshold painful nerve activation failed to lead to vegetative shifts. The reflex vegetative responses during muscle contraction in intact animals may be used as a model of hemodynamic and respiratory changes in man during muscle exercise.