Physiological Adaptations to Chronic Endurance Exercise Training in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

In brief: Endurance exercise training is relatively safe for cardiac patients and is associated with extremely low complication rates. It improves functional capacity and results in a reduction of the heart-rate blood-pressure product at a given submaximal work load. It promotes favorable risk factor modification. If sufficiently prolonged and intense, endurance training can result in a higher heart-rate blood-pressure product at a given ischemic ECG threshold, implying perhaps some l improvement in myocardial oxygenation or delivery of oxygen to the myocardium. Morbidity and mortality data are also encouraging. This discussion, which begins a series of articles on cardiac rehabilitation, explores the reasons why regular physical activity should continue to play a significant role in the rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease.