After a short walking exercise, the venous pressure at the ankle of a standing normal subject is:

After a short walking exercise, the venous pressure at the ankle of a standing normal subject is:

• A. Is greater than the standing ankle pressure at rest
• B. Is lower than the standing ankle pressure at rest
• C. Is the same as standing ankle pressure at rest
• D. Is not affected by chronic venous insufficiency

Answer: (B)

Stretching the muscles in the leg activates the calf muscle pump, which squeezes the leg veins and pushes blood back toward the heart. When you’re standing still, gravity creates a hydrostatic effect that raises the venous pressure at the ankle as blood pools in the leg veins. After a short bout of walking, the muscle contractions drive blood upward more efficiently, reducing venous pooling in the ankle and lowering the venous pressure there compared with the resting standing state. In a normal person, this makes the ankle venous pressure after walking lower than the resting standing ankle pressure.

Stretching the muscles in the leg activates the calf muscle pump, which squeezes the leg veins and pushes blood back toward the heart. When you’re standing still, gravity creates a hydrostatic effect that raises the venous pressure at the ankle as blood pools in the leg veins. After a short bout of walking, the muscle contractions drive blood upward more efficiently, reducing venous pooling in the ankle and lowering the venous pressure there compared with the resting standing state. In a normal person, this makes the ankle venous pressure after walking lower than the resting standing ankle pressure.