ABSTRACT
The role of the arterial baroreflexes in cardiovascular function during exercise continues to be a subject of controversy. Involvement of the cardiac mechanoreflex in circulatory regulation during exercise has been examined much less thoroughly. This chapter deals with the role of arterial baroreceptor function during dynamic exercise. It discusses the role of vagally innervated cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors in the cardiovascular response to exercise. Dynamic exercise requires substantial cardiovascular adjustments to maintain optimal oxygen delivery to exercising muscle. The cardiovascular response to exercise is characterized by a metabolic vasodilation in active muscle and an increase in cardiac output, each proportional to the exercise intensity. In several studies, use of the sinoaortic-denervation technique led to the conclusion that the arterial baroreflexes played little or no role in mediating the cardiovascular response during exercise. J. R. S. Hales and J. Ludbrook examined regional vascular changes that occurred during exercise with intact carotid baroreflexes and after acute denervation.
