Comparable Blood Velocity Changes in Middle and Posterior Cerebral Arteries During and Following Acute High‐Intensity Exercise in Young Fit Women

Abstract

The influence of high‐intensity exercise training (HIIT) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation remains unclear. HIIT induces surges in mean arterial pressure (MAP), which could be transmitted to the brain, especially early after exercise onset. The aims of this study were to 1) describe regional CBF changes during and following 30 s of high‐intensity exercise and; 2) examine whether dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) is associated with CBF changes. Ten women (age: 26 ± 6 yrs; VO2max: 48.6 ± 3.8 ml×kg×min−1) cycled for 30 s at the workload reached at VO2max followed by 3 min of passive recovery. dCA was characterized using transfer function analysis of forced oscillations induced by repeated squat‐stands (0.05 and 0.10 Hz). Middle (MCAvmean) and posterior cerebral artery mean blood velocities (PCAvmean; transcranial Doppler), MAP (finger photoplethysmography) and end‐tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PETCO2; gaz analyzer) were measured. MCAvmean (+19 ± 10%) and PCAvmean (+21 ± 14%) increased early after exercise onset, returning toward baseline values afterwards. MAP increased throughout exercise (p<0.0001). PETCO2 initially decreased by 3 ±2 mmHg (p<0.0001) before returning to baseline values at end‐exercise. During recovery, MCAvmean (+43 ±15%), PCAvmean (+42 ± 15%) and PETCO2 (+11 ± 3 mmHg; p<0.0001) increased. TFA gain was higher in the MCA (p < 0.0001). Other dCA metrics were comparable between arteries and unrelated to exercise‐induced cerebral blood velocity changes. In young fit women, blood velocity changes during and following a 30‐s high‐intensity exercise are comparable between MCA and PCA and unrelated to dCA.Support or Funding InformationL.L. and S.I. are supported by a doctoral training scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS).