Figure 5. Graphical representation of the ‘reductionist’ experimental approach.

Separate exercise modalities were utilized to evaluate the relative contribution of factors to onset exercise hyperaemia. Bars indicate; the multiple factors (i.e. metabolic and endothelium-mediated vasodilatation, skeletal muscle pump, central command) associated with hyperaemia at the onset of voluntary exercise (dark grey fill), hyperaemia persisting after removal of metabolic and skeletal muscle pump influences, which may be due to vessel deformation and cardio-acceleration (light grey shade), and hyperaemia remaining after removal of the established contributors to onset hyperaemia, which may be attributable to cardiac, endothelial and/or neural influences (black fill).