Association Between Upper Limb Strength Through 1-Repetition Maximum Test and V'O in Heart Failure.

This study aimed to evaluate whether there is a correlation between the maximum strength of upper limb when performing a multijoint exercise and peak oxygen uptake (V'O) in Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) subjects. This cross-sectional study involved CHF subjects with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 50%, who underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill and 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) test for upper limb strength using a bench press exercise. The sample consisted of 16 individuals aged 54 ± 12 years with a LVEF of 37 ± 7%. The V'O was 14.98 ± 5.4 ml·min·kg and mean maximum load in the 1-RM test was 38 ± 16 kg. There was strong correlation of V'O with the load in the 1-RM test (r = 0.70; = .037; r = 0.48). There is a strong correlation between the load in 1-RM test for upper limb with V'O in CHF individuals. It is a safe, inexpensive and reproducible way to assess the muscle strength in this population.