Combined strength-aerobic exercise training may offer additional benefits over aerobic training alone for health-related quality of life and functional capacity in heart failure patients.
Does strength training alone or combined with aerobic exercise improve functional capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure compared to aerobic exercise alone?
Combined strength and aerobic exercise training may provide additional benefits in functional capacity and quality of life for heart failure patients, highlighting the need for further research.
Heart failure (HF) is characterized by general muscular weakness, muscle atrophy, and exercise intolerance that lead to reductions in functional capacity, ability to perform activities of daily living, and health-related quality of life. Until recently, exercise programs for patients with HF were centered on aerobic exercise training alone. Although many activities of daily living require significant muscle strength, the role of strength training for HF patients, either alone or in combination with aerobic exercise, has not been well studied. There is suggestive evidence that combined strength-aerobic exercise training may offer additional benefits in terms of health-related quality of life and functional capacity. Strength training can be targeted to reduce muscle atrophy to a greater extent than aerobic training. Further research is required to isolate the specific role of strength training regarding improvements in prognosis, HF-related morbidity and hospitalization, and health-related quality of life for patients with HF.
Gunn et al. (Thu,) conducted a review in Heart failure. Combined strength-aerobic exercise training vs. Aerobic exercise training alone was evaluated. Combined strength-aerobic exercise training may offer additional benefits over aerobic training alone for health-related quality of life and functional capacity in heart failure patients.