Does exercise modality and posture influence cerebrovascular and cardiovascular systems similarly?

Cerebral hemodynamics have been quantified during exercise via transcranial Doppler ultrasound, as it has high-sensitivity to movement artifacts and displays temporal superiority. Currently, limited research exists regarding how different exercise modalities and postural changes impact the cerebrovasculature across the cardiac cycle. Ten participants (4 females and 6 males) ages 20-29 completed three exercise tests (treadmill, supine, and upright cycling) to volitional fatigue. Physiological data collected included middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and respiratory parameters. Normalized data were analyzed for variance and effect sizes were calculated to examine differences between physiological measures across the three exercise modalities. Systolic MCAv was greater during treadmill compared to supine and upright cycling (p < 0.001, (large) effect size), and greater during upright versus supine cycling (p < 0.017, (large)). Diastolic MCAv was lower during treadmill versus cycling exercise only at 60% maximal effort (p < 0.005, (moderate)) and no differences were observed between upright and supine cycling. No main effect was found for mean and diastolic BP (p > 0.05, (negligible)). Systolic BP was lower during treadmill versus supine cycling at 40% and 60% intensity (p < 0.05, (moderate-large)) and greater during supine versus upright at only 60% intensity (p < 0.003, (moderate)). The above differences were not explained by partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide levels (main effect: p = 0.432). The current study demonstrates the cerebrovascular and cardiovascular systems respond heterogeneously to different exercise modalities and aspects of the cardiac cycle. As physiological data were largely similar between tests, differences associated with posture and modality are likely contributors.