OBJECTIVE: Exercise performance is impaired in people with type 2 diabetes even in the absence of cardiovascular complications. It appears that oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics during submaximal exercise are slowed in diabetics, factor that is likely to be associated with the exercise impairment. However the mechanisms for this slowed response are far from clear although they might be related to slowed skeletal blood flow responses. AIM: of this study was to compare calf blood flow kinetic responses in women with type 2 diabetes and age and activity-matched nondiabetic obese & lean women following a moderately high intensity (70%MVC) calf plantar-flexion exercise. METHODS: leg vascular conductance responses (venous occlusion plethysmography measured contraction by contraction) were measured in 9 diabetic, 8 nondiabetic obese and 8 nondiabetic lean women during three bouts of 6 minutes of isometric intermittent (6 s cycles, 2 s contraction, 4 s relaxation) one-leg plantar flexion exercise. To perform the kinetic analysis a biexponential equation was fitted to each subject’s mean blood flow responses (averaged from the three trials). RESULTS: The mean response time of the leg vascular conductance increase was prolonged in type 2 diabetic compared with lean and obese healthy subjects (43.5 ± 41.8, 16.3 ± 6.8 and 15.5 ± 10.1 s, respectively, P < 0.05). In addition, the time constant of the second phase of the kinetic response was significantly longer (P < 0.05) in the diabetic compared to the obese and lean groups (55.2 ± 36.8, 18.9 ± 10.4 and 18.9 ± 14.8 s, respectively). The rest of the kinetic parameters were not different among the three groups. Statistical significance was observed using one-way ANOVA. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a slowed increase in calf blood flow in women with type 2 diabetes during high intensity plantar flexion exercise. A reduced vasodilatory capacity caused by vascular dysfunction during exercise might be related to this observation. Further studies are needed to study the mechanisms associated with the impaired muscle oxygen delivery in diabetes.