Effects of physical training on central haemodynamics and working capacity in myocardial infarction

Changes in central haemodynamics and physical working capacity were followed in 23 patients with myocardial infarction: in 12 of them, after six-month intense physical training, and in 11, after an equal control period without training. The haemodynamic indicators revealed after rehabilitation a significant decrease in the exercise heart rate in comparison with the unchanged value in the controls. The changes in the other haemodynamic values were not significant. The pulmonary arterial end-diastolic pressure, regarded as an indicator of the left ventricular filling pressure, sustained no significant change by the training. Some additional changes, such as decreases in the arterial and venous oxygen pressure both at rest and during exercise, were found in both groups of patients. The physical working capacity increased significantly after rehabilitation in comparison to the control group. It is emphasized that no adverse influence upon the central haemodynamics was revealed in patients with myocardial infarction after intense training according to WHO criteria.