Redistribution of blood flow in acute hypometabolic behavior.
R Jevning, A F Wilson, W R Smith, M E Morton
American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content July 1978 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.1978.235.1.r89 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Normal young adults: regular practitioners of transcendental meditation and similar individuals studied before learning the technique |
| Intervention | ordinary eyes-closed rest-relaxation |
| Duration | 40 minutes of rest |
| Key findings | Both TM and ordinary eyes-closed rest lowered kidney blood flow, but TM additionally lowered liver blood flow, raised cardiac output, and reduced arterial lactate and breathing volume. The authors estimate non-renal, non-hepatic blood flow increased by 44% during TM versus 12% during ordinary rest, and hypothesize that greater brain and/or skin blood flow accounts for part of the redistribution. |
Abstract
Cardiac output, renal and hepatic blood flows, arterial lactate concentration, and minute volume were measured before, during, and after 40 min of rest induced either by the practice known as "transcendental meditation" (TM) or by an ordinary eyes-closed rest-relaxation period. Two groups of normal young adults were studied: one group consisted of regular practitioners of TM and the other of similar individuals studied prior to learning this technique. Marked declines of renal blood flow were noted in both groups. Decline of hepatic blood flow, increased cardiac output, decreased arterial lactate, and minute volume were also recorded in the TM-induced rest period. These changes imply a considerable increase of nonrenal, nonhepatic blood flow during TM (44%) and, to a lesser extent, during rest (12%). Increased cerebral and/or skin blood flow is hypothesized to account for part of the redistributed blood flow in the practitioner.
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