Abstract
Purpose: The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is widely used to evaluate the clinical prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF). However, some patients with HF cannot perform CPET at maximal exercise intensity because of unstable medical condition or musculoskeletal problems. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the effects of quadriceps maximal voluntary isometric contraction (Q-MVIC) strength on aerobic capacity and re-hospitalization (RH).
 Methods: Patients with HF (n = 60, 59.03 ± 13.4 years, male 100%) were recruited in this study. We evaluated the Q-MVIC strength and aerobic capacity after discharge from hospitalization and followed up the RH rate during home-based self-care periods.
 Results: The RH (n = 15, 64.00 ± 14.69) group showed significantly lower Q-MVIC strength (p = .028) than the no RH(NRH, n = 45, 57.78 ± 13.15) group. In addition, the RH group showed significantly lower peak VO2 (p < .001) than the NRH group. Moreover, the Q-MVIC strength and peak VO2 demonstrated significant correlation (r = .414, p < .001).
 Conclusion: Our study showed that the knee extensor strength has strong predictive values on aerobic capacity and RH rate in patients with HF.
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