Effects of a 7-day head-down tilt (-6 degrees) on the dynamics of oxygen uptake and heart rate adjustment in upright exercise.

Oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics and heart rate (HR) kinetics were studied in six healthy male students before and on days 1,3 and 5 after a continuous 7-d antiorthostatic bedrest (-6 degrees). The exercise test protocol consisted of pseudorandom binary sequences (PRBS) of workload (W) performed on a bicycle ergometer in the upright position (20 W - 80 W, 15 bits, 30 s per bit; the sequence was repeated three times). Amplitude ratio and phase of the W-VO2 and W-HR relations were computed at six harmonic frequencies in the range 0.014 - 0.084 rad X s-1. After bedrest the VO2 kinetics was found to be impaired at the harmonic frequencies greater than 0.056 rad X s-1. Additionally, the mean heart rate during the PRBS cycles was increased (108 +/- 15 as compared to 92 +/- 10 min-1). There were no significant effects on HR kinetics and on the static W-VO2 relation. During an endurance training program both VO2 and HR changes were restored to the pre-bedrest levels. It is concluded that the impairment of VO2 kinetics can be attributed mainly to muscular factors.