[Acute cardiovascular and metabolic changes in interval and endurance training in selected patients following...

This study compared the acute changes of cardiovascular and metabolic reactions during interval and continuous training after coronary bypass surgery. Two groups of 9 male patients (age: 59 +/- 4 and 56 +/- 6 years, resp.) each trained on bicycle ergometer start on post-operative days 24 and 26, resp. In both training groups training heart rate was set at 86% of individual maximum heart rate. In the last week of training the exercise intensity in the group of patients who were trained by the continuous method was at 83 watts, and at 20:121 watts in the group of patients who were trained by interval method (rest:work each 1:1 min). At this exercise training that lasted for 20 min the acute response of heart rate, blood pressure, rate-pressure product, glucose, lactate and catecholamines was measured.

In both methods there were no significant differences in systolic and diastolic pressure, rate-pressure product, in glucose or catecholamine levels. However, there was a significantly higher rate of lactate in the second 10 min of the interval training. And, in spite of higher peripheral exercise intensity by interval training, there was no higher cardiac work than by the continuous training. These findings suggest that interval training strains the oxidative capacity of the trained muscles in a more intensive and direct way than does continuous training.