Resistance training increased 6-minute walk distance compared to no training , but had no other benefits on cardiac function , exercise capacity , or quality of life if used alone or as an adjunct to aerobic training in people with chronic heart failure .
QUESTION Does resistance training , either alone or as an adjunct to aerobic training , improve cardiac function , exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure ?
The effect of resistance training on left ventricular function and structure of patients with chronic heart failure.
INTRODUCTION Resistance training ( RT ) has been shown to improve chronic heart failure ( CHF ) patients '  functional ability and quality of life . Despite these benefits RT has not always been recommend as a form of exercise principally because of a concern for acceleration of the left ventricular ( LV ) remodeling process . This study investigated the effects of 8 weeks RT on the LV structure and function of patients with CHF . METHOD Fifteen men who suffered from CHF were divided into either a RT program or non-training control group . Before and after 8 weeks of training patients underwent resting echocardiography to assess their end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions ( EDD and ESD , respectively ) , ejection fraction ( EF ) , fractional shortening ( FS ) and stroke volume ( SV ) . RESULTS A repeated measured ANOVA showed that 8 weeks of RT had no significant effect on the LV measurements ( group x time , p>0.05 ) . Post training comparison , however , revealed that the EF and FS of the training group was significantly higher than in the control group ( 40.9+/-10.5 % vs. 30.3+/-4.6 % , p=0.029 and 25.0+/-7.0 % vs. 17.4+/-3.1 % , p=0.020 respectively ) . CONCLUSION RT is a suitable method of training for CHF patients since it does not cause a reduction of LV contractility function or enhance myocardial deterioration as measured by EF and FS
Resistance training increased 6-minute walk distance compared to no training , but had no other benefits on cardiac function , exercise capacity , or quality of life if used alone or as an adjunct to aerobic training in people with chronic heart failure .
QUESTION Does resistance training , either alone or as an adjunct to aerobic training , improve cardiac function , exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure ?