Does the phenomenon of blood theft by respiratory muscles reduce the ability of hand muscles to precisely control force?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11466
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59030:Physical education, and physical and health education-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto City University of Arts
• Principal Investigator: UE HIDETOSHI 京都市立芸術大学, 美術学部/美術研究科, 教授 (90433242)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉武 康栄 信州大学, 学術研究院繊維学系, 教授 (70318822) ; 鷲野 壮平 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 情報・人間工学領域, 研究員 (30850937) ; 空閑 佐智子 京都外国語大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (10573553)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 身体運動 / 血流量 / 脳機能 / 演奏活動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the effect on ability to perform precise force control (steadiness) by hand muscles when blood flow to the hand muscle was reduced as a result of increased blood flow to respiratory muscles. Steadiness evaluated by standard deviation (SD) of force by hand muscles and brachial artery blood flow during force-matching tasks were measured during concurrent cycling exercises at 50% VO2max (E) and these with extra respiratory load at 30% maximal inspiration pressure (BE) and compared at the initial and endo of exercise (POST). Brachial artery blood flow was reduced in BE and lower than in E at POST. SD of force did not differ between conditions. In contrast, the SD of force at 3-15 Hz frequency band was lower than in E at POST. These results indicate that when respiratory muscle activity increases during lower limb exercise, blood flow in the non-active limb decreases and the force variability of the 3-15 Hz component decreases during isometric force-matching tasks.

Free Research Field

運動生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

スポーツや演奏活動では，激しい呼吸活動を伴いながら四肢活動の微調整を求められる事がある．例えば，バイアスロン（クロスカントリースキー＋射撃）や管楽器の演奏であり，激しい呼吸時に指先の調整能力の低下を経験することがあったが，科学的に証明されていなかった．
本調査にて呼吸筋活動増大に伴う非活動肢の血流量の減少及び力発揮中には3-15Hz成分の力変動が低下することが明らかとなった．このことから，呼吸筋トレーニングにより，このような状況が想定される場面でのパフォーマンス軽減が期待される．日々，鍛錬に励む競技者・演奏者にとって，パフォーマンスを低下させる要因を１つでも排除できることは非常に意義が大きい．