The study purpose was to determine if menstrual cycle (mc) phase impacts the cutaneous vascular response to exercise in young women. Thirteen healthy women ages 20‐28 yrs were studied (mean 23.3 years). None of the women were taking oral contraceptives and all reported having had regular menstrual cycles for the past year. The exercise consisted of 20 min of brisk treadmill walking at a room temp of 32 C and 45% relative humidity. Skin blood flow (SBF) at the forearm and back was recorded before and throughout the exercise. A dual‐channel laser Doppler flowmeter was used to measure SBFs, and the values were stored in computer and later analyzed by commercial software. Using ANOVA mean SBFs for both skin locations were compared before and at 2 min intervals during exercise. One set of SBFs was taken at the mid‐follicular phase (F) of the mc. Another set was recorded at the mid‐luteal phase (L). The order in which the mc phases were studied was randomized. The vascular responses at the two phases were then compared to determine if mc phase altered the thermoregulatory response. Results showed vasodilation at each skin location during both mc phases. When the two phases were compared, it was found that the response was most pronounced during the L phase (12% greater SBF at forearm, P = 0.08; 23% greater SBF at back, P = 0.03). The different vascular responses to exercise are likely accounted for by the different hormonal conditions present.
The purpose of this study was to determine if age impacts the cutaneous vascular (thermoregulatory) response to exercise in women. Seven healthy women ages 20–24 were studied and compared to a group of seven healthy women ages 51–58. The exercise consisted of 20 min of brisk treadmill walking at a room temperature of 32 deg Celsius and a relative humidity of 45%. Skin blood flow (SBF) at the anterior forearm (dominant arm) and mid‐back was recorded immediately before and then throughout the exercise. A dual‐channel laser Doppler flowmeter was used to measure the SBFs, and the values were stored in computer and later analyzed by commercial software. Using ANOVA procedures mean SBFs for both skin locations were then compared before and at 2 min intervals during the exercise. The responses in the two age groups were then compared to determine if age had an effect on the vascular responses to exercise. Results showed vasodilation at each skin location in both groups with exercise. When the two groups were compared, it was found that the vascular responses were most pronounced in the younger group. The forearm SBF was 23% higher in the young group (P<0.05), and it was 34% higher at the back (P<0.05). The differential vascular responses to exercise between the two groups are likely explained by the effects of age on the structure and function of the cutaneous microcirculatory bed.
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