In the unloaded lower leg,vibration extrudes venous blood out of the calf muscles probably by direct acceleration and without arterial vasodilation

Purpose

During vibration of the whole unloaded lower leg, effects on capillary blood content and blood oxygenation were measured in the calf muscle. The hypotheses predicted extrusion of venous blood by a tonic reflex contraction and that reactive hyperaemia could be observed after vibration.

Methods

Twelve male subjects sat in front of a vibration platform with their right foot affixed to the platform. In four intervals of 3-min duration vibration was applied with a peak-to-peak displacement of 5 mm at frequencies 15 or 25 Hz, and two foot positions, respectively. Near infrared spectroscopy was used for measuring haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SmO₂) and the concentration of total haemoglobin (tHb) in the medial gastrocnemius muscle.

Results

Within 30 s of vibration SmO₂ increased from 55 ± 1 to 66 ± 1 % (mean ± SE). Within 1.5 min afterwards SmO₂ decreased to a steady state (62 ± 1 %). During the following 3 min of recovery SmO₂ slowly decreased back to base line. THb decreased within the first 30 s of vibration, remained almost constant until the end of vibration, and slowly recovered to baseline afterwards. No significant differences were found for the two vibration frequencies and the two foot positions.

Conclusions

The relaxed and unloaded calf muscles did not respond to vibration with a remarkable reflex contraction. The acceleration by vibration apparently ejected capillary venous blood from the muscle. Subsequent recovery did not match with a reactive hyperaemia indicating that the mere mechanical stress did not cause vasodilation.