[The role of aerobic exercise following myocardial infarction].
Aerobic exercise training has an important role within the cardiac rehabilitation program. An exercise test performed in the early period after myocardial infarction (MI) allows determining early the functional status and the risk factors of the patients and can accelerate their return to their occupational life. Patients can get back faster and safely to their active lifestyle following MI with exercises carried out at least 3 days per week, for 20 to 60 minutes and at intensities between 40% to 85% of VO2max. These exercises may concern the lower extremity like walking or running, upper extremity like arm cycle ergometer or combinations of these like rowing or swimming. Regular aerobic exercises increase the functional capacity and parasympathetic tone, and these together lead to an improvement in cardiovascular autonomic control. As a result, frequency of coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases declines to an important extent. Studies conducted in humans and animals have shown contradictory outcomes about left ventricular remodelling. General opinion is that aerobic exercise has no favourable effect on ventricular remodelling.
Sekir
Ufuk
U
Department of Sports Medicine, Medical Faculty, Uludağ University, Bursa. ufuksek@hotmail.com
Akova
Bedrettin
B
Saltan
Yelda
Y
D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation*