Heart-Rate Response to a Conditioning Program for Young, Alcoholic Men

The purpose of this study was to determine 1) if our young alcoholic men, like subjects in other studies, had high resting heart rates, high heart-rate responses to exercise, and prolonged cardiac recovery time after exercise and 2) if a jogging program conducted five days a week for four weeks could improve these physiological factors. Heart rates were compared between the group of joggers and a similar group of alcoholics who did not jog. Unlike the subjects of other studies, the young, alcoholic men in our study did not have high resting heart rates. Significant decreases in resting heart rate and heart-rate response to one-minute and three-minute step tests were found in the jogging group.