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YH. Low-magnitude whole body vibration with resistive exercise as a countermeasure against cardiovascular deconditioning after 60 days of head-down bed rest. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 301: R1748 -R1754, 2011. First published September 7, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00234.2011.-Whole body vibration with resistive exercise is a promising countermeasure against some weightlessness-induced dysfunctions. Our objective was to study whether the combination of low-magnitude whole body vibration with a resistive exercise can prevent the cardiovascular deconditioning induced by a nonstrict 60-day head-down bed rest (Earth Star International Bed Rest Experiment Project). Fourteen healthy men participated in this study. We recorded electrocardiograms and blood pressure waves by means of a noninvasive beat-by-beat measurement system (Cardiospace, integrated by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and Astronaut Center of China) during an orthostatic test (20 min of 75-degree head-up tilt test) before and immediately after bed rest. We estimated heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, baroreflex sensitivity, and heart rate variability. Low-magnitude whole body vibration with resistive exercise prevented an increase of the sympathetic index (reflecting the sympathovagal balance of cardiac autonomic control) and limited the decrease of the spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity induced by 60 days of head-down bed rest. However, this countermeasure had very little effect on cardiac hemodynamics and did not improve the orthostatic tolerance. This combined countermeasure did not efficiently prevent orthostatic intolerance but prevents changes in the autonomic nervous system associated with cardiovascular deconditioning. The underlying mechanisms remain hypothetical but might involve cutaneous and muscular mechanoreceptors. autonomic nervous system; cardiovascular deconditioning; baroreflex; hemodynamic; head-up tilt test DAILY GRAVITATIONAL STRESS is necessary to maintain the cardiovascular system in a healthy state. Orthostatic challenge induces cardiac, hormonal, autonomic, macrocirculatory, and microcirculatory responses. A chronic decrease in the gravitational stress (i.e., bed rest or a weightlessness environment) impairs the cardiovascular system with a deconditioning syndrome leading to orthostatic intolerance (9). Several countermeasures were developed and tested against this orthostatic intolerance. Although aerobic exercise (24) and lower-body negative pressure (23) appear to be beneficial against orthostatic intolerance (however, not fully prevented), resistive exercise alone showed only slight effects or even no effects (3). Whole body vibration has been proposed as a countermeasure to prevent muscle and bone deconditioning induced by bed rest and an environment of weightlessness (2). A recent study (41) compared the effects of whole body vibration associated with resistive exercise versus resistive exercise alone on the vascular changes induced by 60-day bed rest. I...

Dry immersion is an effective and useful model for research in physiology and physiopathology. The focus of this study was to provide integrative insight into renal, endocrine, circulatory, autonomic and metabolic effects of dry immersion. We assessed if the principal changes were restored within 24 h of recovery, and determined which changes were mainly associated with immersion-induced orthostatic intolerance. Five-day dry immersion without countermeasures, and with ad libitum water intake, standardized diet and a permitted short daily rise was performed in a relatively large sample for this experiment type (14 healthy young men). Reduction of total body water derived mostly from extracellular compartment, and stabilized rapidly at the new operating point. Decrease in plasma volume was estimated at 20% -25%. Five-day immersion was sufficient to impair metabolism with a decrease in glucose tolerance and hypercholesterolemia, but was not associated with pronounced autonomic changes. Five-day immersion induced marked cardiovascular impairment. Immediately after immersion, over half of the subjects were unable to accomplish the 20-min 70˚ tilt; during tilt, heart rate and total peripheral resistance were increased, and stroke volume was decreased. However, 24 hours of normal physical activity appeared sufficient to reverse orthostatic tolerance and all signs of cardiovascular impairment, and to restitute plasma volume and extracellular fluid volume. Similarly, metabolic impairment was restored. In our study, the major factor responsible for orthostatic intolerance appeared to be hypovolemia. The absence of pronounced autonomic dysfunction might be explained by relatively short duration of dry immersion and daily short-time orthostatic stimulation.