Studies of adults with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) have found that aerobic interval training (AIT) is more effective than moderate intensity continuous exercise (MICE) for increasing aerobic capacity. This study assessed the effects of AIT on health outcome measures in patients with CAD.

This retrospective study included consecutive patients with documented CAD who entered a sixmonth cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) program. All underwent a complete physical examination, including labs, a cardiopulmonary exercise assessment and a test of depression, administered at baseline and then at three and six months after completion. Of the 7，726 patients enrolled, 6，554 were prescribed MICE at both the initial and final exercise prescriptions. The remaining 1，172 were prescribed MICE at their initial prescription but ended with a prescription AIT. Patients in the MICE group were initially prescribed walking for approximately 1.6 km at 60% intensity based on V·O2peak and progressed biweekly to longer distances and higher intensities. Subjects in the AIT group were initially prescribed walking for 1.6 km at 60% intensity but progressed to walking/jogging intervals.

Compared with the MICE group, the AIT group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in resting heart rate, with elevated peak heart rate, distance, time peak workload achieved, and the primary outcome measure of the V·O2peak (P<0.001 for all). In addition, the AIT group realized greater improvements in body mass index (P<0.001), hip girth (P<0.001), abdominal girth (P<0.001), triglycerides(P＝0.01), and depression scores (P<0.001)．

This study of patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program found aerobic interval training to be superior to traditional cardiac rehabilitation for improving aerobic exercise capacity.