title: Effect of exercise training on pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics in heart transplant recipients.
abstract: Pulmonary oxygen uptake (V˙O2p) at exercise onset is severely delayed in heart transplant recipients (HTRs). The role of exercise training to improve V˙O2p kinetics in HTRs has not been studied. We examined V˙O2p kinetics before and after 12 weeks of aerobic and strength training (HTR-T; n = 19, mean ± SD age: 57 ± 10 years) or usual care (HTR-UC; n = 16, mean age: 58 ± 12 years). Phase II V˙O2p kinetics, reflecting the rate of muscle metabolic adaptation, improved 37% after training compared with usual care (HTR-UC, 15 ± 19 vs 2 ± 13 seconds improvement, p = 0.02). The change in rest to steady-state heart rate reserve before and after 12 weeks was not different in HTR-T (-2 ± 9 beats/min) and HTR-UC (-1 ± 7 beats/min; p = 0.78). No significant relation was found between the change in V˙O2p kinetics and rest to steady-state heart rate reserve. Changes in leg lean tissue mass and V˙O2p kinetics were significantly related (r = -0.46, p = 0.008). In conclusion, a favorable adaptation in skeletal muscle oxidative function may underpin our finding of faster V˙O2p kinetics in HTRs after exercise training.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: corey.tomczak@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Corey R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tomczak
authors.forename: Wayne J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tymchak
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Haykowsky
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D016896:Treatment Outcome