Introduction and Purpose: In chronic heart failure (CHF), exercise rehabilitation results in a reduced risk of mortality, decreased disease severity, and increased functional ability. Resistance training is an important component of cardiac rehabilitation; however, an optimal training velocity that produces physiological and functional benefits at minimal perceived exertion and cardiovascular stress has yet to be identified. CHF patients need to be very efficient and perform the exercise that will give them the greatest benefits because of their poor exercise tolerance and increased risk of cardiovascular complications during exercise. In older populations, high velocity resistance training results in greater improvements in functional ability than low velocity resistance training. The use of high velocity resistance training in patients with CHF has yet to be examined; however it may enhance higher velocity activities of daily living while using a lower training load. The lower load associated with high velocity training may be less strenuous and result in lower cardiovascular stress, whilst maintaining a relatively similar power output compared to traditional low-velocity training. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute cardiovascular responses and perceived exertion of high and low velocity resistance exercises.
Methods and Measures: 6 male and 1 female patients with systolic heart failure (CHF NYHA Class I-III) were recruited to perform two separate, randomly assigned exercise sessions. These sessions consisted of 5 exercises (hack squat, chest press, knee flexion, lat pull down and knee extension); one with a low velocity of contraction (3 second concentric phase: 3 second eccentric phase at 50% of the slow velocity 1-RM) and one with a high velocity (1 second concentric phase: 3 second eccentric phase at 50% of the high velocity 1-RM). During both sessions, heart rate, blood pressure, and a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were obtained after the completion of each exercise.
Results: Despite a similar relative mechanical load, the high velocity workout produced significantly lower systolic blood pressure (121.2 vs. 132.8 mmHg), mean arterial pressure (87.8 vs. 93.5), and RPE (3.7 vs.4.8) than the low velocity workout (p<0.05). The high velocity workout was not significantly different from the low velocity workout for heart rate, rate pressure product and diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion: We conclude that the high velocity workout produces more favourable blood pressure responses to resistance training in patients with CHF than the low velocity workout and may be used to enhance functional outcomes in cardiac rehabilitation programs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:USASK/oai:ecommons.usask.ca:10388/ETD-2013-06-1243 |
| Date | 2013 June 1900 |
| Contributors | Chilibeck, Phillip D., Butcher, Scotty J. |
| Source Sets | University of Saskatchewan Library |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, thesis |
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