Conclusions : Currently , there is insufficient evidence about the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise compared to isolated aerobic exercise or usual care on walking performance .
However , despite the low quality of evidence , the combined aerobic and resistance exercise seems to be an effective strategy to improve walking performance in patients with intermittent claudication .
These combined exercise modes or isolated aerobic exercise produce positive and significant results on walking performance .
The usual care approach has a trend to deteriorate the walking performance .
Background : The short-term benefits of aerobic and resistance exercise in subjects affected by Peripheral Arterial Disease ( PAD ) are scarcely examined in interaction .
This study aim ed to identify the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise programs on walking performance compared with isolated aerobic exercise or with the usual care in patients with intermittent claudication .
Treadmill exercise and resistance training in patients with peripheral arterial disease with and without intermittent claudication: a randomized controlled trial.
CONTEXT Neither supervised treadmill exercise nor strength training for patients with peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) without intermittent claudication have been established as beneficial . OBJECTIVE To determine whether supervised treadmill exercise or lower extremity resistance training improve functional performance of patients with PAD with or without claudication . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS R and omized controlled clinical trial performed at an urban academic medical center between April 1 , 2004 , and August 8 , 2008 , involving 156 patients with PAD who were r and omly assigned to supervised treadmill exercise , to lower extremity resistance training , or to a control group .  MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Six-minute walk performance and the short physical performance battery . Secondary outcomes were brachial artery flow-mediated dilation , treadmill walking performance , the Walking Impairment Question naire , and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning ( SF-36 PF ) score . RESULTS For the 6-minute walk , those in the supervised treadmill exercise group increased their distance walked by 35.9 m ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 15.3 - 56.5 m ; P < .001 ) compared with the control group , whereas those in the resistance training group increased their distance walked by 12.4 m ( 95 % CI , -8.42 to 33.3 m ; P = .24 ) compared with the control group . Neither exercise group improved its short physical performance battery scores . For brachial artery flow-mediated dilation , those in the treadmill group had a mean improvement of 1.53 % ( 95 % CI , 0.35%-2.70 % ; P = .02 ) compared with the control group . The treadmill group had greater increases in maximal treadmill walking time ( 3.44 minutes ; 95 % CI , 2.05 - 4.84 minutes ; P < .001 ) ; walking impairment distance score ( 10.7 ; 95 % CI , 1.56 - 19.9 ; P = .02 ) ; and SF-36 PF score ( 7.5 ; 95 % CI , 0.00 - 15.0 ; P = .02 ) than the control group . The resistance training group had greater increases in maximal treadmill walking time ( 1.90 minutes ; 95 % CI , 0.49 - 3.31 minutes ; P = .009 ) ; walking impairment scores for distance ( 6.92 ; 95 % CI , 1.07 - 12.8 ; P = .02 ) and stair climbing ( 10.4 ; 95 % CI , 0.00 - 20.8 ; P = .03 ) ; and SF-36 PF score ( 7.5 ; 95 % CI , 0.0 - 15.0 ; P = .04 ) than the control group . CONCLUSIONS Supervised treadmill training improved 6-minute walk performance , treadmill walking performance , brachial artery flow-mediated dilation , and quality of life but did not improve the short physical performance battery scores of PAD participants with and without intermittent claudication .  Lower extremity resistance training improved functional performance measured by treadmill walking , quality of life , and stair climbing ability . TRIAL REGISTRATION clinical trials.gov Identifier : NCT00106327
Conclusions : Currently , there is insufficient evidence about the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise compared to isolated aerobic exercise or usual care on walking performance .
However , despite the low quality of evidence , the combined aerobic and resistance exercise seems to be an effective strategy to improve walking performance in patients with intermittent claudication .
These combined exercise modes or isolated aerobic exercise produce positive and significant results on walking performance .
The usual care approach has a trend to deteriorate the walking performance .
Background : The short-term benefits of aerobic and resistance exercise in subjects affected by Peripheral Arterial Disease ( PAD ) are scarcely examined in interaction .
This study aim ed to identify the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise programs on walking performance compared with isolated aerobic exercise or with the usual care in patients with intermittent claudication .