A closed-loop approach to the study of the baroreflex dynamics during posture changes at rest and at exercise in humans

We hypothesized that during rapid uptilting at rest, due to vagal withdrawal, arterial baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) may decrease promptly and precede the operating point (OP) resetting, whereas different kinetics are expected during exercise steady state, due to lower vagal activity than at rest. To test this, eleven subjects were rapidly (<2 s) tilted from supine (S) to upright (U) and vice versa every 3 min, at rest and during steady-state 50 W pedaling. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured by finger cuff (Portapres) and R-to-R interval (RRi) by electrocardiography. BRS was computed with the sequence method both during steady and unsteady states. At rest, BRS was 35.1 ms·mmHg −1 (SD = 17.1) in S and 16.7 ms·mmHg −1 (SD = 6.4) in U ( P < 0.01), RRi was 901 ms (SD = 118) in S and 749 ms (SD = 98) in U ( P < 0.01), and MAP was 76 mmHg (SD = 11) in S and 83 mmHg (SD = 8) in U ( P < 0.01). During uptilt, BRS decreased promptly [first BRS sequence was 19.7 ms·mmHg −1 (SD = 5.0)] and was followed by an OP resetting (MAP increase without changes in RRi). At exercise, BRS and OP did not differ between supine and upright positions [BRS was 7.7 ms·mmHg −1 (SD = 3.0) and 7.7 ms·mmHg −1 (SD = 3.5), MAP was 85 mmHg (SD = 13) and 88 mmHg (SD = 10), and RRi was 622 ms (SD = 61) and 600 ms (SD = 70), respectively]. The results support the tested hypothesis. The prompt BRS decrease during uptilt at rest may be ascribed to a vagal withdrawal, similarly to what occurs at exercise onset. The OP resetting may be due to a slower control mechanism, possibly an increase in sympathetic activity.