Effects of exercise on mesenteric blood flow in man

Abstract

Transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound was used to assess the effects of exercise on both fasting and postprandial superior mesenteric artery blood flow. After treadmill exercise (speed 5 km/h, gradient 20%, duration 15 min) in 16 subjects, superior mesenteric artery blood flow decreased by 43% immediately after the end of the exercise and by 29% at five minutes and 24% at 10 minutes postexercise. The superior mesenteric artery blood flow response to a combination of a treadmill exercise and a liquid meal in 15 volunteers was significantly smaller at five minutes from the end of the stimuli, than the response to the meal alone (15 controls) (635 ± 51 ml/min v 846 ± 72 ml/min) (p < 0.025), but not different at any other time. Thus exercise reduces mesenteric blood flow in both the fasting and postprandial state in normal subjects.