European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology
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Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol · Nov 1998
Leg blood flow during slow head-down tilt with and without leg venous congestion.
The effects of slow changes in body position on leg blood flow (LBF) were studied in nine healthy male subjects. Using a tilt table, sitting volunteers were tilted about 60 degrees backwards to a supine position within 40 s. To modify the venous filling in the legs, the tilt manoeuvre was repeated with congestion of the leg veins induced by two thigh cuffs inflated to a subdiastolic pressure of 60 mmHg. ⋯ After 15 min in the tilted position LBF amounted to 600 ml x min(-1). The results suggest that the filling of the leg veins is inversely related to leg blood flow. The most likely mechanism underlying this observation is a local effect of venous filling on vasomotor tone.