title: Effects of aerobic cycling training on cardiovascular fitness and heart rate recovery in patients with chronic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise as an index of autonomic function, we evaluate the effects of aerobic cycling training on HRR and cardiovascular fitness (peak VO2) in chronic stroke patients and investigate the relationship between changes in HRR and those in peak VO2.
  
  
  METHODS
  128 participants with chronic stroke were randomized to a 12-week (5×/week) progressive aerobic cycling training group (n = 65) or a control group (n = 63). Peak VO2, muscle strength, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and HRR were measured before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cycling training leads to significant increase in peak VO2, HRR, muscle strength and 6MWD. In the cycling group, percent changes in peak VO2 were positively associated with those in paretic and nonparetic muscle strength and HRR. Linear regression revealed that percent increases in peak VO2 were significantly correlated with percent changes in HRR when controlling for pre-peak VO2, age, gender, duration since stroke and improved muscle strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aerobic cycling training can favorably modify HRR in stroke survivors. Rapid HRR, as an indicator of enhanced autonomic function, is useful for predicting gains in cardiovascular fitness. These findings indicate the underlying importance of autonomic modulation on cardiovascular adaptations to stroke exercise rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. jinhong5985@163.com
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yibo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Genshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation