The human skeletal muscle metaboreflex contribution to cardiorespiratory control in males and females in dynamic exercise

There is a significant effect of sex and muscle mass on the cardiorespiratory response to the skeletal muscle metaboreflex during isometric exercise. We therefore tested the hypothesis that sex differences would be present when isolated following dynamic exercise. We also tested the hypothesis that single and double leg post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) following high intensity exercise would elicit a cardiorespiratory response proportional to the absolute muscle mass. Healthy (24±4 y) males (n=10) and females (n=10) completed pulmonary function and an incremental cycle test to exhaustion. Participants completed two randomized, 6-min bouts of intense cycle exercise (84±7 % V̇ O₂max). One exercise bout was immediately followed by 3-min post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO; 220 mmHg) of the legs while the other exercise bout was followed by passive recovery. Males completed an additional session of testing with single leg PECO. The mean arterial pressure during PECO was statistically greater in males compared to females (p=0.004). The heart rate response to PECO was similar between males compared with females (p=0.118). PECO elicited a greater ventilatory response in males compared with females (p=0.026). In males we observed a dose-dependent cardiovascular response to muscle mass occluded (all p<0.05). Our findings suggest the metaboreflex contribution to cardiorespiratory control during dynamic exercise is greater in males compared to females. The ventilatory response induced by double-leg occlusion but not single-leg occlusion, suggests that the ventilatory influence of the metaboreflex is less sensitive than the cardiovascular response and may be linked to the greater afferent activation induced by double-leg occlusion.