The effect of exercise on renal plasma flow in normal male subjects.

The effect of exercise on renal function has been the target of numerous research projects, many of which have recently been reviewed by Herlitzka (1). It is generally agreed that exercise exerts an antidiuretic effect, that it depresses urea clearance, and that it increases the specific gravity of the urine. With the introduction of diodrast and of para-amino hippuric acid it became possible to estimate renal plasma flow with considerable accuracy, but these newer methods have not been applied extensively to the question of the effect of exercise. In order to obtain quantitative information on the phenomenon a method was devised for following changes in renal plasma flow before, during, and after standard exercise of varying degrees of severity. The present report is concerned with the application of this test to normal young men.