ABSTRACT
Several key cardiovascular physiological responses seen with exercise include increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and myocardial contractility. These adjustments result in part from alterations in the autonomic nervous system. Regulation of both sympathetic and parasympathetic neural outflow are dependent upon input from centers located within the brain and from various baro-, mechano- and chemoreceptors located throughout the body. The enormous volume of work evaluating the exercise response has focused predominately on the regulatory systems as they relate to men. Gender-related differences in maximal aerobic uptake have been demonstrated and explained in part by differences in various physiological variables. Women have a smaller heart size and blood volume, lower arterial O2 content, and lower hemoglobin concentration. 1 - 4 Pulmonary volume and ventilatory volume are also lower in women as compared to men during exercise. 5 Preliminary studies suggest that the response of the autonomic nervous system during exercise may differ in men as compared to women. 6 ’ 7 In premenopausal women, the ovarian cycle also may modify the response of the chemoreflex during static handgrip exercise. The following chapter serves to review the present understanding of the various regulatory neuropathways involved during static and rhythmic exercise and the potential influences of gender.
