Affiliations: Abteilung für Klinische Hämostaseologie und Transfusionsmedizin, Universität des Saarlandes, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany | Dresdner Institut für Herz‐ und Kreislaufforschung, Forststraße 5, 01099 Dresden, Germany | Abteilung Biomaterialien, Universität Ulm, Albert‐Einstein‐Allee 47, 89081 Ulm, Germany
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Dr F. Jung, Dresdner Institut für Herz‐ und Kreislaufforschung, Forststraße 5, 01099 Dresden, Germany, Tel.: +49 351 8064190, Fax: +49 351 8064199; E‐mail: dihkf@ saarmail.de.
Abstract: The oxygen partial pressure (pO_2) in the anterior tibial muscle was measured in n={}12 (6 physically active and 6 sedentary) apparently healthy subjects. This was the first time a flexible micro catheter with an outer diameter of 0.45 mm was used during skeletal muscular activity in men. A two level tread mill test which is used in the diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusive disease was chosen to induce physical stress. In the healthy volunteers a pO_2 increase was noted at the beginning of exercise. This was followed by a pO_2 decrease because of an increased O_2 demand in the working muscle. The initial pO_2 increase was thought to be due to the recruitment of capillaries and not the subsequently increased heart rate. At rest and during activity pO_2 values were higher in physically active subjects than in the sedentary and the exercise induced decrease of pO_2 values was slower and in addition to this the compensation to baseline values quicker.
