Cardiovascular effects of high-intensity interval aerobic training combined with strength exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. A randomized phase III clinical trial.

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval exercise (i.e., 30s at 100% of max workload, followed by 30s at rest, 45 min 3 days/week working-out schedule for 12 weeks) on left ventricular function and aortic elastic properties among chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Limitation in tidal volume expansion partially determines the intensity of physical activity in COPD.

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reduced levels of daily physical activity are associated with the degree of impairment in lung, peripheral muscle, and central hemodynamic function. There is, however, limited evidence as to whether limitations in tidal volume expansion also, importantly, determine daily physical activity levels in COPD. Eighteen consecutive patients with COPD [9 active (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1: 1.

Intensity of daily physical activity is associated with central hemodynamic and leg muscle oxygen availability in COPD.

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), daily physical activity is reported to be adversely associated with the magnitude of exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation and peripheral muscle weakness. There is limited evidence whether central hemodynamic, oxygen transport, and peripheral muscle oxygenation capacities also contribute to reduced daily physical activity. Nineteen patients with COPD (FEV1, 48 ± 14% predicted) underwent a treadmill walking test at a speed corresponding to the individual patient's mean walking intensity, captured by a triaxial accelerometer during a preceding 7-day period.

Effect of rehabilitative exercise training on peripheral muscle remodelling in patients with COPD: targeting beyond the lungs.

Locomotor muscle dysfunction and weakness are frequently observed in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In addition to intolerable sensations of dyspnoea which importantly contribute to exercise limitation, intrinsic muscle abnormalities have also been implicated in inducing leg muscle fatigue/discomfort during exercise in these patients. It is, however, uncertain whether these intrinsic muscle abnormalities are linked to a specific 'myopathy' or they constitute a consequence of the disease.

Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on peripheral muscle fiber remodeling in patients with COPD in GOLD stages II to IV.

Background: In most patients with COPD, rehabilitative exercise training partially reverses the morphologic and structural abnormalities of peripheral muscle fibers. However, whether the degree of improvement in muscle fiber morphology and typology with exercise training varies depending on disease severity remains unknown.

Methods: Forty-six clinically stable patients with COPD classified by GOLD (Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease) as stage II (n = 14), III (n = 18), and IV (n = 14) completed a 10-week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program consisting of high-intensity exercise three times weekly.

Effectiveness of Interval Exercise Training in Patients with COPD.

Physical training is beneficial and should be included in the comprehensive management of all patients with COPD independently of disease severity. Different rehabilitative strategies and training modalities have been proposed to optimize exercise tolerance. Interval exercise training has been used as an effective alternative modality to continuous exercise in patients with moderate and severe COPD.

Effects of interval-load versus constant-load training on the BODE index in COPD patients.

The BODE index is frequently used to assess functional capacity in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of interval-load training (ILT) to improve the BODE index in comparison to the commonly implemented constant-load training (CLT). Forty-two patients with COPD [FEV(1): (mean+/-SEM) 42+/-3% predicted] were randomly allocated to either ILT (n=21) or CLT (n=21).