During submaximal handgrip exercise, females achieved a greater relative forearm vascular conductance amplitude per unit of lean mass compared to males (30.6 vs 15.7; p<0.001).
Cross-Sectional (n=25)
Does sex affect exercise hyperemia kinetics during submaximal handgrip exercise in healthy young adults?
While the speed of peripheral vascular responses to exercise is similar between sexes, females achieve greater relative vascular conductance per unit of lean mass.
Effect estimate: d = 1.52
Absolute Event Rate: 30.6% vs 15.7%
p-value: p=< 0.001
Although males (M) and females (F) differ in vascular structure and autonomic control, the extent to which these differences are translated to cardiovascular control during exercise remains unclear. Purpose: To explore the effect of sex on exercise hyperemia kinetics. Methods: 25 healthy, young adults (14 F, tested during the early follicular phase) completed two sessions (1 familiarization, 1 experimental). Forearm lean mass (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) was measured prior to completion of 5 minutes of rhythmic handgrip exercise (20% maximum voluntary contraction, 1s contraction, 2s relaxation). Forearm blood flow (FBF, Doppler ultrasound) and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP, finger photoplethysmography) were measured continuously. Forearm vascular conductance (FVC = FBF/MAP x 100), and relative FVC (FVC/forearm lean mass x 100) were calculated. Δ FVC data was fit with a mono-exponential model to provide amplitude of the response (G1), time constant (t), and time delay (TD). Mean response time was also calculated (MRT = t + TD). Results: Data are mean ± SD. There were no differences in absolute FVC between sexes for any parameters: G1 (M: Δ176 ± 68.7 mL/min·100 mmHg F: Δ147 ± 46.5 mL/min·100 mmHg; p = 0.24, d = 0.51), t (M: 21.6 ± 17.0s, F: 32.1 ± 22.5s; p = 0.20, d = 0.51), TD (M: 3.68 ± 7.16s, F: 1.62 ± 3.46s; p = 0.41, r = 0.14) and MRT (M: 25.3 ± 15.4s, F: 33.7 ± 21.2s; p = 0.27, d = 0.44). When relative Δ FVC is considered, females exhibited higher G1 responses (F: Δ 30.6 ± 11.9 mL/min·100 mmHg per 100g, M: Δ Δ 15.7 ± 6.04 mL/min ·100 mmHg per 100g; p < 0.001, d = 1.52). No sex differences were observed for t (M: 21.6 ± 17.0s, F: 32.1 ± 22.5s; p = 0.19, d = 0.51), TD (M: 3.68 ± 7.16s, F: 1.56 ± 3.44s; p = 0.34, r = 0.16) and MRT (M: 25.3 ± 15.4s, F: 33.7 ± 21.2s; p = 0.26, d = 0.44). Conclusion: Females demonstrated a greater FVC amplitude when normalized to forearm lean mass as described in previous literature. However, time-based kinetic parameters (t, TD, MRT) did not differ between the sexes, suggesting that while the speed of peripheral vascular responses is similar, females achieve greater relative vascular conductance per unit of lean mass. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.
Hudson et al. (Fri,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=25). Submaximal handgrip exercise vs. Male sex was evaluated on Relative forearm vascular conductance amplitude (G1) (d = 1.52, p=< 0.001). During submaximal handgrip exercise, females achieved a greater relative forearm vascular conductance amplitude per unit of lean mass compared to males (30.6 vs 15.7; p<0.001).