Does a 12-week circuit interval training program improve functional power in patients with coronary artery disease?
A 12-week circuit interval training program significantly improves functional capacity in CAD patients, primarily through peripheral adaptations.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12‐week circuit interval training (CIT) program on several indices of functional power in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients following from the exercise regimen. Twenty‐two patients with documented CAD served as subjects. After training, peak oxygen consumption (ml kg−1 min−1) and maximal MET level achieved in these patients increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Several hemodynamic variables and electrocardiographic data were studied to try to assess whether functional power was enhanced predominantly by central or peripheral hemodynamic and metabolic events. Maximal ST‐segment depression did not decrease significantly, and peak heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, rate‐pressure product, and the HR at the time of ST‐segment depression did not increase significantly. These data imply that the change in functional power observed was primarily the result of adaptation in the periphery.
LeMura et al. (Sun,) studied this question.