Cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular responses to head-up tilt II: influence of age, training status and acute exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the combined cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular responses to head-up tilt (HUT) in young and older trained and untrained humans following moderate-duration exercise. Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAv; transcranial Doppler ultrasound), blood pressure (BP; Finometer), and stroke volume (SV) were measured continuously whilst supine and during 60° HUT for 15 min or to pre-syncope in 41 participants [nine young trained; eleven young untrained; twelve older trained; nine older untrained] prior to and following 30 min of treadmill exercise at 70-80% maximal HR. Orthostatic tolerance was not reduced following exercise [Mean (all groups) 14:45 ± 1:19, vs. 14:47 ± 0:43 min:s (before exercise); P = 0.73], and did not differ with age or fitness. Mean MCAv was elevated [~5 ± 11%] whilst supine after exercise in the older participants but reduced [~-4 ± 12%] in the young [P = 0.03]. The postural reductions in MCAv [~-22% vs. -17%; P = 0.02], MAP [~-8% vs. -3%; P = 0.04] and SV [~-28% vs. -23%; P = 0.03] were increased after exercise (vs. pre-exercise). Orthostatic tolerance was not reduced following 30 min of exercise, and did not differ with age or fitness, despite more pronounced post-exercise reductions in MCAv, MAP and SV with postural change.