Responses of peripheral blood circulation in treadmill exercise test as a criterium for evaluation of central hemodynamics and anaerobic threshold

The study was undertaken to examine whether the linear arterial blood velocity in the lower extremities is related to impaired cardiac pump function and anaerobic threshold. A stepwise treadmill test was performed in 40 healthy individuals and 39 patients with cardiac malformations. The changes in maximal diastolic blood velocity and resistive index which had been determined by Doppler echoflowmetry after each step of the treadmill test were compared with those in the oxygen restoration coefficient, ventilation equivalent by oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the expired air. It was found that the blood velocity in the lower extremities may be used as noninvasive criteria for impaired cardiac pump function and anaerobic threshold.