ABSTRACT
The first to third editions of this book did not deal specifically with exercise. This was natural. It was hard enough to obtain accurate data on pulsatile phenomena at rest, let alone unscramble motion and other artifacts from waves that were usually recorded invasively in experimental animals and in humans through catheters and implanted devices. The situation has now changed, with the ability to measure pressure, flow, and diameter fluctuations non-invasively in humans or through telemetric techniques in free-ranging animals. Furthermore, with basic principles now established for understanding arterial function and vascular-ventricular interaction at rest, it is important to extend these to real-life situations where the body is physically active. The ability to exercise – to chase prey and escape from predators – determined the ability of species to survive in eons past. The same ability in
humans to exercise determines the ability to enjoy recreational pursuits with comfort. The severity of cardiovascular diseases, such as cardiac failure, angina pectoris, and leg claudication are graded (as in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria) on the basis of the degree to which they limit the ability to exercise.
