title: High-intensity interval training is not superior to other forms of endurance training during cardiac rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-intensity interval training has recently emerged as superior to continuous endurance training in cardiac rehabilitation upon other training regimes. Individually tailored continuous endurance training and pyramid training could induce comparable effects on peak work capacity as high intensity interval training.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, randomized study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effects of the following isocaloric cycle ergometer protocols on peak work capacity have been assessed in patients with coronary artery disease (n = 60) during 6 weeks of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, i.e. 18 supervised sessions of exercise training: (1) continuous endurance training (n = 20): 33 min at 65-85% peak heart rate; (2) high intensity interval training (n = 20): 4 × 4 min intervals at 85-95% peak heart rate, each followed by 3 min of active recovery at 60-70% peak heart rate; (3) pyramid training (n = 20): 3 × 8 min of stepwise load increase and subsequent decrease from 65-95-65% peak heart rate, supplemented by 2 min recovery at 60-70% peak heart rate between pyramids. All protocols were preceded by 5 min of warm-up and followed by 5 min cool-down at 60-70% peak heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attendance during exercise sessions was 99.2%. There were significant increases in peak work capacity of comparable magnitude in all three training groups (begin vs. end: continuous endurance training: 136.0 ± 49.6 W vs. 163.4 ± 60.8 W (21.1 ± 8.5%); high-intensity interval training: 141.0 ± 60.4 W vs. 171.1 ± 69.8 W (22.8 ± 6.6%); pyramid training: 128.7 ± 50.6 W vs. 158.5 ± 57.9 W (24.8 ± 10.8%); within groups all p < 0.001; between groups, p = not significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endurance training protocols assessed in this study all led to significant increases in peak work capacity of comparable magnitude. Our findings suggest that these protocols can be used interchangeably, which will lead to further individualization of exercise prescription and may therefore result in improved adherence to lifelong behavioural changes.
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschentscher
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eichinger
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Droese
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schönfelder
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Austria j.niebauer@salk.at.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niebauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001317:Austria; D001642:Bicycling; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Coronary artery disease; exercise training; outpatients; physical work capacity; pyramid training