Exercise training improves aerobic endurance and musculoskeletal fitness in female cardiac transplant recipients

Aim

Female cardiac transplant recipients'' aerobic capacity is 60% lower than sex and age-predicted values. The effect of exercise training on restoring the impaired aerobic endurance and muscle strength in female cardiac transplant recipients is not known. This study examined the effect that aerobic and strength training have on improving aerobic endurance and muscle strength in female cardiac transplant recipients.

Methods

20 female cardiac transplant recipients (51 ± 11 years) participated in this investigation. The subjects performed a baseline six-minute walk test and a leg-press strength test when they were discharged following cardiac transplantation. The subjects then participated in a 12-week exercise program consisting of aerobic and lower extremity strength training. Baseline assessments were repeated following completion of the exercise intervention.

Results

At baseline, the cardiac transplant recipients'' aerobic endurance was 50% lower than age-matched predicted values. The training program resulted in a significant increase in aerobic endurance (pre-training: 322 ± 104 m vs. post-training: 501 ± 99 m, p < 0.05) and leg-press strength (pre-training: 48 ± 16 kg. vs. post-training: 78 ± 27 kg, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Aerobic and strength training are effective interventions that can partially restore the impaired aerobic endurance and strength found in female cardiac transplant recipients.Exercise training is an effective intervention that can partially restore the impaired aerobic capacity and musculoskeletal fitness (i.e. muscle strength) found in cardiac transplant recipients [1,2]. However, previous reports have focused exclusively on the effects of exercise training in men. Therefore, the effect of exercise training on these outcomes in female cardiac transplant recipients is not known [2-7]. Importantly, a majority of female cardiac transplant recipients do not engage in regular physical activity leading to increased levels of fatigue, poor functional status and reduced exercise capacity [8-10]. Based on this rationale, the aim of this study is to examine the effect that exercise training has on improving aerobic endurance (i.e. distance walked in six-minutes) and lower extremity muscle strength in female cardiac transplant recipients. We hypothesized that exercise training would be a feasible and effective intervention to improve aerobic endurance and lower extremity strength in female cardiac transplant recipients.