Muscle microvascular oxygen delivery limitations during the contraction phase of intermittent maximal effort contractions

The end-test torque (ETT) during intermittent maximal effort contractions reflects the highest contraction intensity at which a muscle metabolic steady-state can be attained. This study determined if ETT is the highest intensity at which the contraction phase of intermittent exercise does not limit the matching of microvascular oxygen delivery to muscle oxygen demand.

Microvascular oxygenation characteristics of the biceps brachii muscle were measured in sixteen young, healthy individuals (8M/8F, 22 ± 3 years, 80.9 ± 20.3 kg) by near-infrared spectroscopy during maximal effort elbow flexion under control conditions (CON) and with complete circulatory occlusion (OCC).

Increases in total-[heme] were blunted during OCC compared to CON (225 ± 87 vs. 264 ± 88 μM, p < 0.001) but OCC did not elicit a compensatory increase in deoxygenated-[heme] at any timepoint (108 ± 62 vs. 101 ± 61 μM, p > 0.05). Deoxygenated-[heme] was significantly elevated during contraction, relative to relaxation, above ETT (107 ± 60 vs. 98.8 ± 60.5 μM, p < 0.001), but not at ETT (91.7 ± 54.1 vs. 98.4 ± 62.2 μM, p = 0.174). Total-[heme] was significantly reduced during contraction, relative to relaxation, at all contraction intensities during CON (p < 0.05) and OCC (p < 0.05).

These data suggest that ETT may reflect the highest contraction intensity at which contraction-induced increases in intramuscular pressures do not limit muscle perfusion to a degree that requires further increases in fractional oxygen extraction (i.e., deoxygenated-[heme]) despite limited microvascular diffusive conductance (i.e., total-[heme]).