Key result
Continuous aerobic exercise fails to produce meaningful individual VO2peak response differences in coronary heart disease.
Why the study?
True exercise response variation on cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with coronary heart disease was not known.
Does continuous aerobic exercise cause inter-individual response differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in adults with coronary heart disease?
Meta-Analysis (n=1,383)
Does continuous aerobic exercise cause inter-individual response differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) in adults with coronary heart disease?
Mean Difference: 0.9 (95% CI -1.5–2)
Continuous aerobic exercise significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with coronary heart disease, but there is no evidence of true exercise-associated inter-individual response variation, suggesting individualized exercise prescriptions for this specific outcome may be unnecessary.
Supports uniform continuous aerobic exercise prescription in CHD; confirms consistent VO2peak responses without meaningful inter-individual variability.
Background: Given that true exercise response variation on cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with coronary heart disease (CHD) is not known, this study addressed this gap. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing continuous aerobic exercise (CAE) to controls in adults ≥18 years of age with CHD were included. The primary outcome was exercise-associated inter-individual response differences (IIRDs) in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak in ml.kg−1.min−1). Using the inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) model, a standard deviation of individual response difference (SDir) meta-analysis was conducted. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CIs) and prediction intervals (PIs) were calculated. Results: Twenty-eight RCTs representing 1383 participants (725 CAE, 658 control) were included. Statistically significant and clinically important improvements (≥1.0 mL.kg−1.min−1) were observed for VO2peak as a result of CAE (X¯, 3.6, 95% CI, 2.8 to 4.4 mL.kg−1.min−1, p < 0.001), but no statistically significant or clinically important IIRD based on the SDir were found (X¯, 0.9, 95% CI, −1.5 to 2.0 mL.kg−1.min−1; 95% PI, −2.4 to 2.7). Based on GRADE, the strength of evidence was of low certainty. Conclusions: There is low certainty evidence that CAE results in statistically significant and clinically important improvements in VO2peak in adults with CHD, but no exercise-associated IIRD was observed once properly accounted for.
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Kelley et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Coronary heart disease (n=1,383). Continuous aerobic exercise vs. Control was evaluated on Exercise-associated inter-individual response differences (IIRDs) in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak in ml.kg−1.min−1) (MD 0.9, 95% CI -1.5 to 2.0). Continuous aerobic exercise did not result in statistically significant or clinically important inter-individual response differences in VO2peak among adults with coronary heart disease (MD 0.9 mL/kg/min, 95% CI -1.5 to 2.0).
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