Background: Although the pathogenesis of migraine still remains unclear, certain metabolic studies done on patients with migraine indicate possible deficits in mitochondrial activity. Previously, the forearm ischemic exercise test (FIT) has been used as a screening tool to evaluate mitochondrial dysfunction in metabolic myopathies.
Material/Methods: We studied the response of migraine patients to exercise using the modified FIT and compared this to the responses in a healthy group. After baseline venous blood samples were drawn, a sphygmomanometer cuff placed around the upper arm was inflated to 30 mmHg above systolic blood pressure and the subject performed a maximal isometric contraction of the forearm flexors using a hand-grip dynamometer with a 9-contraction: 1-relaxation duty cycle for a total time of 60 seconds.
Results: In migraine patients, attenuated lactate response after the FIT in the 1st, 3rd and 5th minutes were significantly different when compared to the control group.
Conclusions: Our results show that there may be defects in the anaerobic or proximal glycolytic pathways in migraine patients, evident in stressful situations. We also conclude that the FIT may be useful for research on migraine pathophysiology.

Keywords: L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism, Ischemia - blood, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Forearm - blood supply, Exercise Test - methods, Case-Control Studies, Blood Glucose - metabolism, Migraine Disorders - physiopathology, Oxygen - metabolism