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Resistance Versus Aerobic Exercise Training in Chronic Heart Failure

  • Nonpharmacologic Therapy: Surgery, Ventricular Assist Devices, Biventricular Pacing, and Exercise (AK HASAN, Section Editor)
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Abstract

It is now accepted that exercise training is a safe and effective therapeutic intervention to improve clinical status, functional capacity, and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure (CHF). Nevertheless, this therapeutic modality remains underprescribed and underutilized. Both aerobic and resistance training improve exercise capacity and may partially reverse some of the cardiac, vascular, and skeletal muscle abnormalities in individuals with CHF. Aerobic training has more beneficial effects on aerobic power (peak oxygen consumption) and cardiac structure and function than resistance exercise training, while the latter is more effective for increasing muscle strength and endurance and promoting favorable arterial remodeling. Combined aerobic and resistance training is the preferred exercise intervention to reverse or attenuate the loss of muscle mass and improve exercise and functional capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life in individuals with CHF. The challenge now is to translate these research findings into clinical practice.

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No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Education, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Sandra Mandic

  2. Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Jonathan Myers

  3. Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Jonathan Myers

  4. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Steve E. Selig

  5. Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Itamar Levinger

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  1. Sandra Mandic
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  2. Jonathan Myers
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  4. Itamar Levinger
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Correspondence to Sandra Mandic.

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Mandic, S., Myers, J., Selig, S.E. et al. Resistance Versus Aerobic Exercise Training in Chronic Heart Failure. Curr Heart Fail Rep 9, 57–64 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-011-0078-0

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