It has been suggested that, during heavy-intensity exercise, O2 delivery may limit oxygen uptake (V̇o2) kinetics; however, there are limited data regarding the relationship of blood flow and V̇o2 kinetics for heavy-intensity exercise. The purpose was to determine the exercise on-transient time course of femoral artery blood flow (Q̇leg) in relation to V̇o2 during heavy-intensity, single-leg, knee-extension exercise. Five young subjects performed five to eight repeats of heavy-intensity exercise with measures of breath-by-breath pulmonary V̇o2 and Doppler ultrasound femoral artery mean blood velocity and vessel diameter. The phase 2 time frame for V̇o2 and Q̇leg was isolated and fit with a monoexponent to characterize the amplitude and time course of the responses. Amplitude of the phase 3 response was also determined. The phase 2 time constant for V̇o2 of 29.0 s and time constant for Q̇leg of 24.5 s were not different. The change (Δ) in V̇o2 response to the end of phase 2 of 0.317 l/min was accompanied by a ΔQ̇leg of 2.35 l/min, giving a ΔQ̇leg-to-ΔV̇o2 ratio of 7.4. A slow-component V̇o2 of 0.098 l/min was accompanied by a further Q̇leg increase of 0.72 l/min (ΔQ̇leg-to-ΔV̇o2 ratio = 7.3). Thus the time course of Q̇leg was similar to that of muscle V̇o2 (as measured by the phase 2 V̇o2 kinetics), and throughout the on-transient the amplitude of the Q̇leg increase achieved (or exceeded) the Q̇leg-to-V̇o2 ratio steady-state relationship (ratio ∼4.9). Additionally, the V̇o2 slow component was accompanied by a relatively large rise in Q̇leg, with the increased O2 delivery meeting the increased V̇o2. Thus, in heavy-intensity, single-leg, knee-extension exercise, the amplitude and kinetics of blood flow to the exercising limb appear to be closely linked to the V̇o2 kinetics.
Femoral Artery Blood Flow and Microcirculatory Perfusion During Acute, Low-Level Functional Electrical Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injury
