This study compared calf-muscle oxygenation measurements from BOLD MRI and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in a group of healthy subjects after plantar-flexion exercise. NIRS measurement of deoxyhemoglobin (dHb) was limited to the medial gastrocnemius, while BOLD imaging allowed for R2* mapping of the entire calf. Post-exercise R2* recovery dynamics in the calf indicated significant functional differences between different calf muscle groups. This advantage of BOLD makes it potentially valuable for assessing peripheral arterial disease (PAD), where impairment of muscle function can vary depending on the location of upstream stenosis.
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