High-intensity Interval Versus Combined Exercise Training in CHF

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome presented with central, cardiac deterioration as well as peripheral vascular and muscular abnormalities, resulting finally to reduced exercise tolerance, quality of life and mortality rates. Exercise training is a major component of rehabilitation / secondary prevention interventions, inducing significant beneficial changes in mechanisms of pathophysiology, exercise tolerance, functional capacity and quality of life, while a positive impact on hospitalization and mortality reduction should not be also excluded. There has been growing interest in the characteristics and modalities of exercise training able to induce optimal benefits. High intensity and interval mode have been shown to induce greater benefits than moderate intensity and continuous mode regimes. Additionally, there has been sound rationale for the inclusion of strength training, which has been also shown able to yield benefits in terms of exercise capacity and quality of life. However, there haven't been much data on the so called combined regimes, which include both aerobic exercise and strength training. This study aims at investigating the effects of combined high-intensity interval and strength training compared to high-intensity interval exercise alone in CHF.

Official Title
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High-intensity Interval Versus Combined High-intensity Interval and Strength Exercise Training in Chronic Heart Failure

Conditions
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Heart Failure

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: High-intensity interval exercise training
* Other: Combined exercise training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: stable heart failure ejection fraction <=45% optimal medical treatment NYHA class <=III Exclusion Criteria: contraindications for maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) moderate to severe COPD inability to follow exercise programs due to orthopaedic problems

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 80 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Interval group<br>high-intensity interval exercise training | Other: High-intensity interval exercise training<br>* High-intensity interval exercise training [4 reps * (4 min at 80% VO2peak + 3 min at 50% VO2peak)]<br>|
| Active Comparator: Combined group<br>combined exercise training | Other: Combined exercise training<br>* High intensity [2 reps * (4 min at 80% VO2peak + 3 min at 50% VO2peak)] and strength exercise training (2-4 sets, 10-12 reps, 60-65% 1RM, for quadriceps and hamstrings, 14 min in total)<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| aerobic exercise capacity (assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing) |  | 3 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| strength exercise capacity (assessed by 1-repetition maximum test) |  | 3 months | 
| quality of life (assessed by MLWHF questionnaire) |  | 3 months | 
| quadriceps local adaptations (assessed by muscle biopsies) |  | 3 months | 
| quadriceps cross sectional area (assessed by CT) |  | 3 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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high-intensity exercise training, heart failure, aerobic exercise, strength training, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation