Journal of Applied Physiology · 1978 · 18 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesCardiologyPhysiologyExercise PhysiologyExercise TestingPhysical ActivityCardiopulmonary Exercise TestingMuscle StrengthPhysical FitnessStrength TrainingTraining AdaptationBlood FlowBody Position EffectsIsometric Muscle ContractionIsometric Muscle Strength TestingIsometric Strength TestingMaximal Voluntary ContractionMaximum Voluntary Contraction TestingSitting Position
The isometric strength of four trained subjects was unaltered by changes in posture. But the endurance of an isometric contraction held to fatigue at 25 and 40% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was 20% greater in the sitting than in the recumbent posture. This difference was abolished when the exercise was performed with the arm's circulation arrested. At rest, the blood flow through the forearm was greater when the subjects were in the recumbent than in the sitting position but the reverse was true during isometric contractions. In these two postures, there was no difference in the right atrial pressure during the contraction, suggesting that the low-pressure baroreceptors are not responsible for the differences in blood flow during exercise. To date no mechanism is available to explain these observations.