Exercise Training Improves Aerobic Capacity and Skeletal Muscle Function in Heart Transplant Recipients

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of supervised aerobic and strength training (SET) versus no-training (NT) on peak aerobic power (VO(2peak)), submaximal exercise left ventricular (LV) systolic function, peripheral vascular function, lean tissue mass and maximal strength in clinically stable heart transplant recipients (HTR). Forty-three HTR were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of SET (n = 22; age: 57 +/- 10 years; time posttransplant: 5.4 +/- 4.9 years) or NT (n = 21; age: 59 +/- 11 years; time posttransplant: 4.4 +/- 3.3 years). The change in VO(2peak) (3.11 mL/kg/min, 95% CI: 1.2-5.0 mL/kg/min), leg and total lean tissue mass (0.78 kg, 95% CI: 0.31-1.3 kg and 1.34 kg, 95% CI: 0.34-2.3 kg, respectively), chest-press (10.4 kg, 95% CI: 5.2-15.5 kg) and leg-press strength (34.7 kg, 95% CI: 3.7-65.6 kg) were significantly higher after SET versus NT. No significant change was found for submaximal exercise LV systolic function or brachial artery endothelial-dependent or -independent vasodilation. Supervised exercise training is an effective intervention to improve VO(2peak), lean tissue mass and muscle strength in HTR. This training regimen did not improve exercise LV systolic function or brachial artery endothelial function.