Combined strength and aerobic training vs. aerobic training alone in patients with heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed

5 hours ago

Combined strength and aerobic training (combined training) yields greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance, and upper body strength than aerobic training (AT) alone in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
The meta-analysis, including 15 studies and 526 participants (predominantly male, with 89% HFrEF and 11% HFpEF), found that combined training increased CRF with a small-to-medium effect size (SMD=0.40), 6MWT distance by 48.4 meters, and upper body strength by 8.3 kg compared to AT alone.
When exercise session duration is matched, combined training still outperforms AT alone in improving CRF. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with strength training also enhances CRF more than HIIT alone.
No significant differences were observed between combined training and AT alone regarding health-related quality of life (HRQoL) or cardiac function in the analysis.
The study suggests that replacing part of aerobic training with strength training may be an effective strategy to further enhance CRF in HFrEF, but more evidence is needed to clarify effects in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

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