Changes in quadriceps femoris muscle perfusion following different degrees of cold-water immersion

摘要

We examined the influence of graded cold-water immersion (CWI) on global and regional quadriceps muscle perfusion with positron emission tomography (PET) and [O-15]H2O. In 30 healthy men [33 +/- 8 yr; 81 +/- 10 kg: 184 +/- 5 cm: percentage body fat: 13 +/- 5%; peak oxygen uptake (Vo(2peak)): 47 +/- 8 mL.kg(-1).min(-1)] quadriceps perfusion, thigh and calf cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), intestinal, muscle, and local skin temperatures, thermal comfort, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were assessed before and after 10 min of CWI at 8 degrees C, 15 degrees C, or 22 degrees C. Global quadriceps perfusion did not change beyond a clinically relevant threshold (0.75 mL.100 g.min(-1)) in any condition and was similar between conditions {range of differences [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.1 mL.100 g.min(-1) (-0.9 to 1.2 mL.100 g.min(-1)) to 0.9 mL.100 g.min(-1) (-0.2 to 1.9 mL.100 g.min(-1))}. Muscle perfusion was greater in vastus intermedius (VI) compared with vastus lateralis (VL) (2.2 mL.100 g.min(-1); 95% CI 1.5 to 3.0 mL.100 g.min(-1)) and rectus femoris (RF) (2.2 mL.100 g.min(-1); 1.4 to 2.9 mL.100 g.min(-1)). A clinically relevant increase in VI muscle perfusion after immersion at 8 degrees C and a decrease in RF muscle perfusion at 15 degrees C were observed. A clinically relevant increase in perfusion was observed in VI in 8 degrees C compared with 22 degrees C water (2.3 mL.100 g.min(-1); 1.1 to 3.5 mL.100 g.min(-1)). There were no clinically relevant between-condition differences in thigh CVC. Our findings suggest that CWI (8-22 degrees C) does not reduce global quadriceps muscle perfusion to a clinically relevant extent; however, colder water increases (8 degrees C) deep muscle perfusion and reduces (15 degrees C) superficial muscle (RF) perfusion in the quadriceps muscle.