We determined whether the deleterious effects of dehydration and hyperthermia on cardiovascular function during upright exercise were attenuated by elevating central blood volume with supine exercise. Seven trained men [maximal oxygen consumption (V˙o 2 max) 4.7 ± 0.4 l/min (mean ± SE)] cycled for 30 min in the heat (35°C) in the upright and in the supine positions (V˙o 2 2.93 ± 0.27 l/min) while maintaining euhydration by fluid ingestion or while being dehydrated by 5% of body weight after 2 h of upright exercise. When subjects were euhydrated, esophageal temperature (Tes) was 37.8–38.0°C in both body postures. Dehydration caused equal hyperthermia during both upright and supine exercise (Tes = 38.7–38.8°C). During upright exercise, dehydration lowered stroke volume (SV), cardiac output, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cutaneous vascular conductance and increased heart rate and plasma catecholamines [30 ± 6 ml, 3.0 ± 0.7 l/min, 6 ± 2 mmHg, 22 ± 8%, 14 ± 2 beats/min, and 50–96%, respectively; all P < 0.05]. In contrast, during supine exercise, dehydration did not cause significant alterations in MAP, cutaneous vascular conductance, or plasma catecholamines. Furthermore, supine versus upright exercise attenuated the increases in heart rate (7 ± 2 vs. 9 ± 1%) and the reductions in SV (13 ± 4 vs. 21 ± 3%) and cardiac output (8 ± 3 vs. 14 ± 3%) (all P< 0.05). These results suggest that the decline in cutaneous vascular conductance and the increase in plasma norepinephrine concentration, independent of hyperthermia, are associated with a reduction in central blood volume and a lower arterial blood pressure.
Comparative Effects of Prazosin and Phenoxybenzamine on Arterial Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Plasma Catecholamines in Essential Hypertension
