Article

For exercise prescription, rating of perceived exertion is the
subjective tool most frequently used in addition to methods based on percentage
of peak exercise variables. The aim of this study was the validation of a
subjective method widely called the Talk Test (TT) for optimization of training
intensity in patients with recent myocardial revascularization. DESIGN AND
METHODS: Fifty patients with recent myocardial revascularization (17 by coronary
artery bypass grafting and 33 by percutaneous coronary intervention) were
enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation programme. Each patient underwent three
repetitions of the TT during three different exercise sessions to evaluate the
within-patient and between-operators reliability in assessing the workload (WL)
at TT thresholds. These parameters were then compared with the data of a final
cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and the WL range between the individual aerobic
threshold (AeT) and anaerobic threshold (AnT) was considered as the optimal
training zone. RESULTS: The within-patient and between-operators reliability in
assessing TT thresholds were satisfactory. No significant differences were found
between patients' and physiotherapists' evaluations of WL at different TT
thresholds. WL at Last TT+ was between AeT and AnT in 88% of patients and
slightly <AeT in the remaining subjects. At higher TT thresholds, a progressively
increasing number of patients would exercise beyond the AnT. CONCLUSIONS: Our
data show that the reliability of TT, evaluated both by patients and by
physiotherapists, is satisfactory and the use of Last TT + threshold to optimize
aerobic training intensity after a recent myocardial revascularization is an
effective and safe strategy.

Langue : ANGLAIS