Power Doppler sonography: use in measuring alterations in muscle blood volume after exercise

The purpose of this study was to show the ability of power Doppler sonography (PDS) to evaluate exercise-induced changes in muscle blood volume.

We evaluated 20 biceps muscles with PDS in 10 healthy volunteers before and after they underwent a standardized exercise protocol. Intramuscular blood volume was qualitatively analyzed using a subjective scoring system to evaluate vascular conspicuity, comparing sonograms obtained before and after exercise. We also collected preliminary data on the quantification of estimated fractional moving blood volume (EFMBV) measured on sonograms obtained in eight biceps muscles of five volunteers. Assessment of significance was calculated using a Wilcoxon signed-rank correlation of significance. The stability of relative changes in EFMBV was also assessed with measurements performed at three different times in five healthy volunteers.

With exercise, all 20 biceps muscles showed a significant subjective increase in apparent vascularity (p < .0005). Likewise, preliminary data on EFMBV showed significant increases (p < .01) between baseline and peak exercise values (mean, 470%; range, 180-900%).

PDS revealed marked increases in intramuscular vascular conspicuity after exercise. EFMBV provided a potentially useful parameter to document such increases quantitatively.