Effect of perfusion on exercised muscle: MR imaging evaluation

An ischemic clamp model of exercise was used to evaluate the potential role of blood flow in mediating changes in the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of skeletal muscle. Proton relaxation times of muscle were serially estimated in 10 healthy subjects (a) before exercise, (b) after exercise in the presence of vascular occlusion (VO₁), (c) during vascular reocclusion after 1 minute of reperfusion (VO₂), and (d) after reinstitution of continuous flow. T1 and T2 of active muscles were increased during VO₁. During VO₂, there were additional increases in relaxation times of active muscles. Reinstitution of continuous flow was associated with a continuous decrease in the T2 of exercised muscle. Hence, blood flow was not required for increases in T1 and T2 with exercise. Additional relaxation time increases occurred after a brief period of reperfusion; however, continuous flow was associated with a decrease in T2.