The equilibrium CO2 rebreathing method does not affect resting or exercise blood pressure.

The equilibrium CO2 rebreathing technique has been widely used for the noninvasive determination of cardiac output. Recently, several investigators have used this technique in conjunction with auscultatory blood pressure measurements to calculate total peripheral resistance. To examine the validity of this approach, we attempted to determine whether the CO2 rebreathing procedure has a significant effect on blood pressure. The participants in the present study were 10 male subjects, 24 +/- 1 yr of age (mean +/- SE). Each subject performed two trials-one with CO2 rebreathing and one without. Both trials consisted of three stages (rest, 25%, and 50% VO2peak), each stage lasting 15 min. During the rebreathing trial, the CO2 rebreathing technique was administered at 10 min into each stage. There were no statistically significant differences in the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure responses between the two trials. These results indicate that the equilibrium CO2 rebreathing technique does not alter auscultatory blood pressures at rest and during exercise up to intensities of 50% VO2peak.