[Effects of interval versus endurance training of increasing performance, cardiovascular function, metabolism and catecholamines in selected patients after aortocoronary bypass operation].

This paper reports the effect of endurance exercise training on bicycle ergometer by interval method (work and interval each 1:1 min) and continuous method on increase of physical performance, decrease of heart rate, rate-pressure-product, glucose, lactate, and catecholamines. Two groups of nine male patients (aged 59 +/- 4 vs 56 +/- 6 (mean +/- SD)) after coronary bypass surgery each participated in the inpatient rehabilitation training. Training started 24 and 26 days, resp., after surgery and lasted for 3.5 weeks. Frequency and duration of exercise training: Monday-Friday 1 x 20 min and 1 x 25 min per day; Saturday/Sunday each 1 x 25 min per day. In the interval group and the continuous group the exercise training intensity was set at 86% of individual max. heart rate. In the last week of training mean exercise intensity was at 83 watts in the group of patients who were trained by the continuous method and at 20:121 watts in the group of patients who were trained by the interval method. Before and after the training period patients underwent a multistage bicycle ergometer exercise test in sitting position. Beginning at 25 w, each stage was increased by 25 w, whereby each stage lasted 3 min. Cutoff criteria were heart rate (220 - age x 0.85) and/or fatigue of the leg muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)