The ability to distribute blood from areas with low demand to areas with high demand, such as occurs during exercise, is a critical function of the circulatory system. PURPOSE: To compare the resting diameter and vasoreactivity of the brachial artery in elite strength athletes to those of age-matched controls. We hypothesized that the brachial arteries of strength athletes would have larger diameters at rest, and show greater vasoreactivity in response to cuff occlusion and a cold pressor test than in untrained individuals. METHODS: Eight elite strength athletes (age, 23 ± 2 years) and ten age-matched controls (age, 22 ± 1 years) were studied. Using high-resolution ultrasonography, brachial diameter was assessed at rest and following 5 minutes of forearm occlusion (BAFMD) and a cold pressor test. RESULTS: The average resting brachial diameters of strength athletes (5.39 mm ± 1.51) was significantly larger than the diameters of the control group (3.73 mm ± 0.71). On average, strength athletes showed significantly greater vasodilation (BAFMD % Δ athletes, 8.21% ± 1.78; controls 5.69% ± 1.56) in response to cuff release and significantly greater vasoconstriction (CPT % Δ athletes, -2.95 ± 1.07; controls -1.20 ± 0.48) in response to the cold pressor test. The combined effect of vasodilation and vasoconstriction indicates a greater physiologic vascular operating range in the athletes (0.55 mm) compared to the controls (0.25 mm). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports significant differences in vascular responses to vasodilatory and constrictor stimuli of elite strength athletes and age-matched controls. These differential responses in the elite athletes suggest a well-adapted vasculature defined by a wide vascular operating range.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-10232009-125139 |
| Date | 28 October 2009 |
| Creators | Blalock, Paul Joseph |
| Contributors | Welsch, Michael A., Nelson, Arnold G., Landin, Dennis K. |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-10232009-125139/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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