Abstract
Abnormal cerebral/muscular hemodynamic responses to exercise contribute to the impairment of functional capacity in patients with heart failure (HF). However, which exercise prescription yields optimal peripheral hemodynamic function to improve exercise tolerance in HF patients remains unclear. This study investigates how interval and continuous exercise regimens affect cerebral/muscular hemodynamic responses to exercise in patients with HF. Thirty patients with HF were randomly divided into moderate continuous exercise training group (MCT; 60% VO2peak, n=10), aerobic interval exercise training group (AIT; 3-minute intervals at 80% and 40% of VO2peak, n=10), and general healthcare group (GHC, n=10) for 12 weeks. A near-infrared spectroscopy was employed to assess perfusion/oxygenation in vastus lateralis (VL) muscle and frontal cerebral lobe (FC). Our results demonstrated that the AIT group had a larger improvement in aerobic capacity compared to the MCT and GHC groups. Simultaneously, 12-week AIT enhanced perfusion (Δtotal Hb) and O2 extraction (ΔHHb) of VL during exercise, whereas VL hemodynamic response to exercise remained unchanged following either MCT or GHC intervention. However, none of the 12-week interventions influenced the cerebral perfusion/oxygenation during exercise. Therefore, we conclude that AIT for 12 weeks improves cardiopulmonary fitness, concurrence with enhancing O2 delivery/utilization in skeletal muscles but not cerebral tissues.
Published Version
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