A comparison of the effects of strength and aerobic exercise training on exercise capacity and lipids after coronary artery bypass surgery

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery surgery improves symptoms and prognosis in patientswith angina. Aerobic exercise rehabilitation improves exercisecapacity and prognosis in cardiac patients. Strength exercisetraining has not been extensively studied. DESIGN: We studied the effects of 6 months aerobic and strength exercisetraining after coronary artery surgery in 81 men, mean age 57years. RESULT: Treadmill time(s) increased by l30·3 (95% confidenceinterval 467·4 to 214·2) in the aerobic group;by 83·1 (0·9 to l65·3) in the strengthgroup, and by 34·3 (–1 to 69·6 in the controlgroup (P=0·04 control versus aerobic) after 3 months;and by l96·4 (112·2 to 280·7) in the aerobicgroup, by 122·7 (37·7 to 207·6) in thestrength group and by 27 (– 40·4 to 94·4)in the control group (P=0·002, control versus aerobic,and P=0·03 control versus strength) after 6 months. Thelevel of fitness improved more in the strengthtrained group,and there was a minor reduction in body weight and degree offatness. There were no changes in lipoprotein levels. Aerobicexercise training causes early and sustained benefit in treadmillexercise capacity, while the effects of strength exercise trainingare later in onset. Exercise training alone did not influencelipid levels. CONCLUSION: Cardiac rehabilitation programmes should be comprehensive, includingadvice on diet and other risk factor modifications in additionto exercise sessions involving aerobic and strength trainingelements.