Acta physiologica
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Cerebral oxygenation decreases during exercise in humans with beta-adrenergic blockade.
Beta-blockers reduce exercise capacity by attenuated increase in cardiac output, but it remains unknown whether performance also relates to attenuated cerebral oxygenation. ⋯ Propranolol attenuated the increase in cardiac output of consequence for cerebral perfusion and oxygenation. We suggest that a decrease in cerebral oxygenation limits exercise capacity.