Cardiac Rehabilitation in Chronic Heart Failure: Effect of an 8-Week, High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Continuous Training

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 93; no. 8; pp. 1359 - 1364
• Main Authors: Freyssin, Céline, Verkindt, Chantal, PhD, Prieur, Fabrice, PhD, Benaich, Philippe, MD, Maunier, Sébastien, Blanc, Philippe, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanics; Body Mass Index; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chronic Disease; Comorbidity; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Exercise Test; Exercise Therapy - methods; Female; Heart; Heart failure; Heart Failure - rehabilitation; Heart failure, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, cardiac enlargement; Humans; Male; Mechanics; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Oxygen Consumption; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Physics; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rehabilitation; Rehabilitation Centers - organization & administration; Walking; Heart failure; revolutions per minute; V̇ o 2; HADS; IT; first ventilatory threshold; 6MWT; rpm; minimal clinical important difference; V o 2peak; CT; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; VT1; oxygen consumption per unit time; MCID; peak oxygen consumption; interval training; Rehabilitation; continuous training; metabolic equivalent task; MET; six-minute walk test; V̇o2; Vo2peak; Chronic; Reeducation; High intensity; Heart disease; Orthopedics; Cardiovascular disease; Comparative study; Body Mass Index; Comorbidity; Humans; Middle Aged; Oxygen Consumption; Male; Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation Centers; Walking; Exercise Test; Heart Failure; Adult; Female; Aged; Chronic Disease
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.03.007

Abstract Freyssin C, Verkindt C, Prieur F, Benaich P, Maunier S, Blanc P. Cardiac rehabilitation in chronic heart failure: effect of an 8-week, high-intensity interval training versus continuous training. Objective To compare the effects of an 8-week, high-intensity interval training protocol versus continuous training. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Cardiac rehabilitation center. Participants Patients (N=26; mean age ± SD, 54±12y) with chronic heart failure were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program for 8 weeks. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups that performed either interval training (IT) or continuous training (CT). IT consisted of 3 sessions of 12 repetitions of 30 seconds of exercise at very high intensity, followed by 60 seconds of complete rest. The CT group performed CT exercises, which consisted of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise. Main Outcome Measures Parameters of gas exchanges: peak oxygen consumption (V o2 peak), first ventilator threshold (VT1), distance at six-minute walk test (6MWT), and level of anxiety and depression were measured. Results The IT group increased significantly their V o2 peak, the duration of the exercise test, the oxygen pulse, oxygen consumption at the VT1, and the distance walked during the 6MWT. The CT group only increased the time at the VT1 and the distance performed at the 6MWT. The improvement in the time at the VT1 was significantly higher for the IT group than for the CT group. Conclusions This study shows that IT at very high intensity for patients with heart failure appears to be more effective than CT in improving indices of submaximal exercise capacity.