Acute Cardiorespiratory Responses to Different Exercise Modalities in Chronic Heart Failure Patients-A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute cardiorespiratory responses and time spent above different %VO 2peak intensities between three "iso-work" protocols: (a) a high intensity interval training protocol (HIIT), (b) a higher intensity continuous protocol (CON 70 ) and (c) a lower intensity continuous protocol (CON 50 ) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Ten male CHF patients (aged 55.1 ± 16.2 years) performed in separate days a single session of a HIIT protocol consisted of 4 sets × 4 min cycling at 80% VO 2peak with 3 min of recovery at 50% VO 2peak , a CON 70 protocol corresponding to 70% VO 2peak and a CON 50 protocol corresponding to 50% VO 2peak . Cardiopulmonary data were collected by an online gas analysis system. The HIIT and CON 70 elicited higher cardiorespiratory responses compared to CON 50 with no differences between them ( p > 0.05). In HIIT and CON 70 , patients exercised longer at >80% and >90% VO 2peak . The completion rate was 100% for the three protocols. Not any adverse events were observed in either protocol. Both HIIT and CON 70 elicited a stronger physiological stimulus and required shorter time than CON 50 . Both HIIT and CON 70 also induced comparable hemodynamic responses and ventilatory demand.