High-intensity interval exercise in chronic heart failure: protocol optimization.
BACKGROUND
There are little data on the optimization of high-intensity aerobic interval exercise (HIIE) protocols in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Therefore, we compared acute cardiopulmonary responses to 4 different HIIE protocols to identify the optimal one.


RESULTS
Twenty men with stable systolic CHF performed 4 different randomly ordered single HIIE sessions with measurement of gas exchange. For all protocols (A, B, C, and D) exercise intensity was set at 100% of peak power output (PPO). Interval duration was 30 seconds (A and B) or 90 seconds (C and D), and recovery was passive (A and C) or active (50% of PPO in B and D). Time spent above 85% of VO(2peak) and time above the ventilatory threshold were similar across all 4 HIIE protocols. Total exercise time was significantly longer in protocols with passive recovery intervals (A: 1,651 ± 347 s; C: 1,574 ± 382 s) compared with protocols with active recovery intervals (B: 986 ± 542 s; D: 961 ± 556 s). All protocols appeared to be safe, with exercise tolerance being superior during protocol A.


CONCLUSIONS
Among the 4 HIIE protocols tested, protocol A with short intervals and passive recovery appeared to be superior.
University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Philippe
P
Meyer
Eve
E
Normandin
Mathieu
M
Gayda
Guillaume
G
Billon
Thibaut
T
Guiraud
Laurent
L
Bosquet
Annick
A
Fortier
Martin
M
Juneau
Michel
M
White
Anil
A
Nigam
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption