A computerized continuous wave Doppler instrument was used to monitor changes in cardiac output during symptom limited supine bicycle exercise in 41 individuals. Eight (19%) had technically unsatisfactory Doppler signals. Of the remaining 33 patients, 21 had clinical and 18 had angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease (group 1) and 12 age-matched asymptomatic subjects served as controls (group 2). In eight group 1 patients, cardiac output determined simultaneously by Doppler and thermodilution technique correlated well at rest and peak exercise (Y = 1.71x + 0.69, SEE = 0.57, r = 0.86, P less than 0.001). During exercise, group 1 patients increased their cardiac output from 5.2 +/- 1 to 6.9 +/- 1.4 (mean +/- SD), group 2 subjects increased their cardiac output from 5.5 +/- 1.3 to 10.9 +/- 2. Group 1 patients, when compared to group 2 control subjects, had a lesser increase in cardiac output (34% versus 103%, P less than 0.05), a shorter duration of exercise (6.1 versus 9.7 mins, P less than 0.05) and a lower double product (172 +/- 18 versus 211 +/- 27, P less than 0.05). This new Doppler technique provides reasonably accurate estimates of cardiac output at rest and on moderate exercise in selected patients. In selected clinical situations, it may be a valuable addition to other measurements that are usually determined during exercise.