Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide after exercise.

The plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide were determined before, at the end of exercise performed on a bicycle ergometer at constant 200-W for 10 minutes, and at 30 minutes after the end of test in 8 clinically healthy male subjects. The results show that plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels increase significantly at the end of test, and return to baseline values after 30 minutes. The increase in atrial natriuretic peptide levels is significantly correlated with the increase in heart rate and in systolic arterial blood pressure. These data indicate that the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide increase in response to exercise proportionally to the intensity of workload: in this respect, exercise is an useful test in order to evaluate the endocrine function of the heart.