Conclusion Although data are limited , there is a strong significant relationship between plantar flexor muscle strength and treadmill walking ability .
Background and Objective Exercise is a widely accepted treatment known to improve walking ability in persons with peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) ; however , it has not been confirmed as to whether exercise improves fitness and performance-based function and , consequently , performance of activities of daily living ( ADL ) .
This systematic review aims to identify whether any mode of structured exercise improves physical fitness or performance-based tests of function and whether improvement in walking ability is related to an improvement in these outcomes .
Data Sources and Study Selection Eligible studies included r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) using an exercise intervention for the treatment of intermittent claudication with fitness ( including the 6-min walk ( 6MW ) , aerobic capacity , shuttle and muscle strength ) tests and performance-based tests of function as the outcomes .
Effect of training on the response of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor to exercise in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Expansion of the capillary network , or angiogenesis , occurs following endurance training . This process , which is reliant on the presence of VEGF ( vascular endothelial growth factor ) , is an adaptation to a chronic mismatch between oxygen dem and and supply . Patients with IC ( intermittent claudication ) experience pain during exercise associated with an inadequate oxygen delivery to the muscles . Therefore the aims of the present study were to examine the plasma VEGF response to acute exercise , and to establish whether exercise training alters this response in patients with IC . In Part A , blood was collected from patients with IC ( n=18 ) before and after ( + 20 and + 60 min post-exercise  ) a maximal walking test to determine the plasma VEGF response to acute exercise .  VEGF was present in the plasma of patients ( 45.11+/-29.96 pg/ml ) and was unchanged in response to acute exercise . Part B was a training study to determine whether exercise training altered the VEGF response to acute exercise . Patients were r and omly assigned to a treatment group ( TMT ; n=7 ) that completed 6 weeks of high-intensity treadmill training , or to a control group ( CON ; n=6 ) . All patients completed a maximal walking test before and after the intervention , with blood sample s drawn as for Part A. Training had no effect on plasma VEGF at rest or in response to acute exercise , despite a significant increase in maximal walking time in the TMT group ( 915+/-533 to 1206+/-500 s ; P=0.009 ) following the intervention . The absence of a change in plasma VEGF may reflect altered VEGF binding at the endothelium , although this can not be confirmed by the present data
Conclusion Although data are limited , there is a strong significant relationship between plantar flexor muscle strength and treadmill walking ability .
Background and Objective Exercise is a widely accepted treatment known to improve walking ability in persons with peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) ; however , it has not been confirmed as to whether exercise improves fitness and performance-based function and , consequently , performance of activities of daily living ( ADL ) .
This systematic review aims to identify whether any mode of structured exercise improves physical fitness or performance-based tests of function and whether improvement in walking ability is related to an improvement in these outcomes .
Data Sources and Study Selection Eligible studies included r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) using an exercise intervention for the treatment of intermittent claudication with fitness ( including the 6-min walk ( 6MW ) , aerobic capacity , shuttle and muscle strength ) tests and performance-based tests of function as the outcomes .