Exercise training for heart failure patients improves respiratory muscle endurance, exercise tolerance, breathlessness, and quality of life.

Purpose: Increased respiratory muscle endurance and peak oxygen consumption (VO(2peak)) induced by respiratory muscle training support the relationship between respiratory muscle function and exercise capacity in patients with heart failure. This raises the question whether exercise-training results in increased respiratory muscle function contributing to an increased exercise tolerance, a decreased perception of breathlessness, and an improved quality of life.

Methods: Prospective cohort analysis was completed on 24 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III heart failure [18 men, 6 women; aged = 64 (SD 7.