The Effect Of An Expanded Long Term Periodization Exercise Training In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Summary

Benefits from cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are evidence based and widely recognized. Less than 50% of people who participate in hospital-based CR programs maintain an exercise regimen for as long as six months after completion. Despite the benefits associated with regular exercise training (ET), adherence with supervised exercise-based CR remains low.

Current exercise guidelines for CR focus on moderate intensity steady state exercises, with walking and cycling being the most recommended types of ET. The repetitive nature of this type of activity can become monotonous for the patient, affecting exercise adherence, compliance and training outcomes. Exercise periodization is a method typically used in sports training, but the impact of periodized exercise to yield optimal beneficial effects in cardiac patients is still unclear.

In healthy or trained populations, periodization aims to optimize ET adaptations as compared with non periodized training, to prevent overtraining and to avoid plateauing of training adaptations. Periodized methods are considered to be superior to non periodized methods in trained populations and appears to be superior in inactive adults. In most of the CR programs there are no periodization or exercise progression during medium to long term interventions. Further randomized controlled trials (RCT) are necessary to evaluate long-term periodization outcomes.

The purpose of this research project is twofold:

1. To conduct a 12-month randomized control trial to evaluate the effects of a periodized ET regime versus a non periodized ET regime (guidelines) on VO2 peak, maximal strength, body composition, functionality and quality of life in cardiovascular disease patients.
2. to differentiate the effects of a 12-month periodized ET regime versus a non periodized ET regime on the different components of the oxygen kinetics response and oxidative adaptations in cardiovascular disease patients.

These patients will be randomized in 2 ET groups: 1) periodization; 2) non periodization. This experimental design will occur during 48 weeks 3 times per week with 4 assessment time points: M0) before starting the ET program (baseline); M1) 3 months after starting the ET; M2) 6 months after starting the ET program and M3) 12 months at the end of the community-based ET program.

Conditions

• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Coronary Artery Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Periodized Exercise Training Regime

MCT 1st: 20 min on an ergometer; at Anaerobic Threshold (AT) 1 or, if the AT could not be adequately determined, 50-60% of the Heart Rate Reserve (HRR), Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) equivalent 9-11. MCT 2nd: 20 minutes; 60-70%HRR, RPE 12-13. HIIT 1st: 4 interval training periods of 2 minutes (AT2 intensity or 80-90%HRR, RPE 15-17) and 4 active pauses of 2 minutes (below AT 1 or 40-50%HRR, RPE 6-9) between interval training periods. HIIT 2nd: same intervals as in 1st HIIT different intensities: high intensity interval above AT2 intensity or \> 90%HRR, RPE 17-19 and active pauses at AT 1 or 50-60%HRR, RPE 9-11. Resistance training adaptation: 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions 50% 1RM; Hypertrophy: 2 sets 8-12 repetitions at 60% 1RM; Maximal Strength: 2 sets of 6-8 repetitions at 80% 1RM.

OTHER

Non Periodized Exercise Training Regime

To ensure that total training loads were similar in both groups despite differences in intensity, it will be used the training impulses (TRIMP) method from Edwards for the aerobic component and the volume load method for the RT component. All sessions will include 10 minutes of warm up and cool down standardized for both groups. By design, the non periodized group involves an identical total training volume and time commitment but differed regarding metabolic stress induced by the linear periodized group. All patients will be monitored with a HR monitor during the execution of the exercise session in order to achieve the HR training. Blood pressure will be assessed before and after completing each session. If necessary, the blood pressure will be measured during the ET session.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Lisbon

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Helena Santa-Clara, PhD · Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-10-01

Primary Completion

2019-12-20

Completion

2019-12-20

Countries

• Portugal

Study Locations