Exercise-induced improvements in the VO₂peak of cardiac rehabilitation participants are well documented. However, optimal exercise intensity remains doubtful. This study aimed to identify the optimal exercise intensity and program length to improve VO₂peak in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) following cardiac rehabilitation. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included a control group and at least one exercise group. RCTs assessed cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) changes resulting from exercise interventions and reported exercise intensity, risk ratio, and confidence intervals (CIs). The primary outcome was CRF (VO₂peak or VO₂ at anaerobic threshold). Two hundred and twenty-one studies were found from the initial search (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus). Following inclusion criteria, 16 RCTs were considered. Meta-regression analyses revealed that VO₂peak significantly increased in all intensity categories. Moderate-intensity interventions were associated with a moderate increase in relative VO₂peak (SMD = 0.71 mL-kg⁻¹-min⁻¹; 95% CI = [0.27–1.15]; p = 0.001) with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 45%). Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity and vigorous-intensity interventions were associated with a large increase in relative VO₂peak (SMD = 1.84 mL-kg⁻¹-min⁻¹; 95% CI = [1.18–2.50], p < 0.001 and SMD = 1.80 mL-kg⁻¹-min⁻¹; 95% CI = [0.82–2.78] p = 0.001, respectively), and were also highly heterogeneous with I² values of 91% and 95% (p < 0.001), respectively. Moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous-intensity interventions, conducted for 6–12 weeks, were more effective at improving CVD patients’ CRF.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs’ benefits are overall consensual; however, during exercise, progressive physiological effects have not been studied yet in cardiac patients. Our study aims to analyze physiological parameters of thermography, heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, and cortical arousal in heart attack patients (HAP) who belong to CR programs of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-intensity Continuous Training (MICT) compared to healthy participants. In this case control study, two HAP patients (both male, age 35 and 48, respectively) and two healthy people (both male, age 38 and 46, respectively) were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 allocation ratio to one of four groups: cardiac MICT, cardiac HIIT, control MICT, and control HIIT. The HIIT at ≈85–95% of peak heart rate (HR) was followed by a one-minute recovery interval at 40% peakHR, and MICT at ≈70–75% of peakHR. Outcome measurements included thermography, HRV, blood pressure, CNS fatigue, and cortical arousal; The HAP presents more than twice the CNS fatigue in MICT than control participants, but HIIT has almost the same CNS fatigue in HAP and control. In addition, both of the HAP groups presented higher temperatures in the chest. The HIIT protocol showed better physiological responses during exercise, compared to MICT in HAP.

Studies have shown that the higher the aerobic capacity, the lower the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In the case of cardiac patients, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) seems to be more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in improving aerobic capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two community-based exercise programs using two short-term protocols (HIIT and MICT) on physical fitness and physical activity (PA) levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, body composition, aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and daily PA levels were assessed before and after 6 weeks of intervention in 69 patients diagnosed with CAD. All patients were randomly (1:1:1) assigned to two exercise groups (HIIT or MICT) or a control group (no exercise). Both training programs consisted of 6 weeks of supervised treadmill exercise, three sessions per week. MICT targeted 70-75 of peak heart rate (HR), while HIIT aimed for 85-95 of peak HR. The control group only followed the medical recommendations. Results. Community-based exercise programs showed more positive effects on physical fitness variables and physical activity levels compared to control. HIIT could significantly improve waist circumference, body fat mass, VO₂peak, sedentary behavior, and moderate-to-vigorous PA compared to MICT. Moreover, the control group showed poorer results. Conclusion. HIIT can improve health outcomes more positively than MICT and control. These findings indicate that HIIT may be an alternative and effective training method in community-based exercise programs for CAD patients. This trial is registered with NCT03538119.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is essential in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising exercise intervention for enhancing clinical outcomes in cardiac patients. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two short-term exercise-based programs employing HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in comparison to a control group concerning blood pressure, body composition, and blood biomarkers in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Seventy-two CAD patients (14% women) underwent randomization into three groups: HIIT, MICT, and control. The training programs encompassed six weeks of supervised treadmill exercises, conducted thrice weekly. MICT targeted ≈70–75% of peak heart rate (HRpeak), while HIIT was tailored to ≈85–95% of HRpeak. The control group received guidance on adopting healthy lifestyles. Outcome measurements included evaluations of blood pressure, body composition, and blood biomarkers. Results: In contrast to MICT, the HIIT exhibited superior improvements in body fat mass (Δ%HIIT: 4.5%, p < 0.001 vs. Δ%MICT: 3.2%, p < 0.001), waist circumference (Δ%HIIT: 4.1%, p = 0.002 vs. Δ%MICT: 2.5%, p = 0.002), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (Δ%HIIT: 10.4%, p < 0.001 vs. Δ%MICT: 32.3%, p < 0.001) and thyrotropin (TSH) (Δ%HIIT: 16.5%, p = 0.007 vs. Δ%MICT: 3.1%, p = 0.201). Both HIIT and MICT induced significant enhancements across all variables compared to the control group. Conclusions: HIIT and MICT emerged as effective modalities for enhancing systolic and diastolic function, body composition, and blood biomarkers in CAD patients, with HIIT demonstrating incremental improvements over MICT. The absence of participation in exercise-based programs following cardiovascular events yielded less favorable outcomes. HIIT holds promise as an adjunct intervention in CR programs for CAD patients. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03538119.

O envelhecimento populacional coloca desafios significativos à promoção da funcionalidade, cognição e autonomia. A atividade física regular, especialmente através de programas multicomponente, está amplamente reconhecida como uma estratégia essencial para a preservação da capacidade funcional em idosos. Recentemente, tecnologias baseadas em inteligência artificial têm emergido como ferramentas inovadoras capazes de apoiar a prescrição, monitorização e adaptação do exercício físico. Este artigo apresenta uma opinião crítica sobre a relevância pedagógica e prática da integração da IA no treino de idosos, comparando-a com abordagens tradicionais. São analisados princípios da Pedagogia do Desporto, a aprendizagem motora, o feedback, a motivação, e os desafios associados à literacia digital e à supervisão técnica. Discute-se o potencial da inteligência artificial para personalizar exercícios, potenciar o envolvimento cognitivo e motor, e apoiar a tomada de decisão profissional, sem substituir o papel pedagógico do treinador ou do profissional de exercício. Conclui-se que a inteligência artificial representa uma oportunidade complementar, mas exige enquadramento crítico, formação adequada e reflexão ética para garantir práticas pedagógicas eficazes e seguras.