Article

PURPOSE: To compare individualized endurance + resistance exercises (ICE) with a
traditional cardiac maintenance program (CMP) on exercise performance in patients
with cardiac disease and low exercise capacity. METHODS: Patients eligible for
cardiac rehabilitation with peak exercise capacity <6 metabolic equivalents
(METs) were randomly allocated to once-weekly ICE or CMP for 6 mo. ICE used 60
min of individualized moderate endurance and strength exercises. CMP used 60 min
of group calisthenics plus relaxation and flexibility exercises. Maximal and
submaximal endurance and strength exercise performance were assessed at baseline
and 6 mo. RESULTS: Seventy patients (70 +/- 9 y; 38% female) were included in the
intention-to-treat analyses. Large and significant improvements in both
submaximal endurance and maximal strength were observed in the ICE group compared
with the CMP group. Submaximal exercise duration (+111 +/- 112 sec vs +14 +/- 120
sec, P < .01), workload (+16 +/- 16 W vs +2 +/- 17 W, P < .01), and muscular
strength (+7 +/- 8 kg vs 0 +/- 7 kg and +16 +/- 14 kg vs 0.2 +/- 12 kg for upper-
and lower-body strength, P < .01) all favored ICE over CMP. No significant
between-group differences were observed in peak exercise performance (+0.05 +/-
0.17 W/kg vs +0.04 +/- 0.17 W/kg, P = .83) or peak oxygen uptake (-0.1 +/- 3.1
mL/kg/min vs +0.6 +/- 3.2 mL/kg/min, P = .38). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cardiac
disease and low exercise capacity improved submaximal exercise performance and
muscular strength with once-weekly ICE but not with CMP. Neither ICE nor CMP led
to an improvement in peak exercise endurance performance. The implementation of
ICE in this population would be feasible and may result in greater benefit for
performing activities of daily living.

Langue : ANGLAIS