[Relationship between metabolic and hemodynamic characteristics during isometric tetanus of the cat gastrocnemius...

In anesthetized cats, the increase in duration of the isometric tetanic contraction of the m. gastrocnemius from 7 to 30 sec elicited a 4-fold increase in the muscular mechanical performance. During the postcontraction hyperemia, a 5-6-fold increase in the rate of lactic acid and inorganic phosphates removal into venous blood were opposed to only a 1.5-2-fold increase in the blood supply and oxygen consumption by the muscle. The role of metabolic and metabolic factors in the mechanism of hyperemia in skeletal muscle after strong tetanic contractions is discussed.