Effects of a short-term resistance program using elastic bands or weight machines in cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract

Summary Aims Strength training is often used in cardiac rehabilitation to counteract the peripheral alterations induced by deconditioning. Elastic bands have been suggested to be a good alternative to weight machines or free weights. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of resistance training using elastic bands in comparison with weight machines in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Methods Eighteen patients with cardiovascular diseases (56 ± 10 years) underwent ten sessions of exercise training using elastic bands (EB, n = 9) and weight machines (WM, n = 9). At baseline and after the training period, patients performed a symptom-limited test on a cycle ergometer, two walking tests (a 6-min walk test and a 200-m fast walk test) and an evaluation of knee and elbow extensors maximal strength. Results Workload at the end of symptom-limited exercise test increased after EB and WM (P Conclusion Resistance training with elastic bands is a low-cost technique which appears as effective as weightlifting for cardiac rehabilitation.