Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
Currently, children with congenital heart disease are not limited in their submaximal exercise performance
Jan Müller1, Birgit Böhm, Sebastian Semsch
1Institute of Preventive Pediatrics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany. j.mueller@tum.de
Objectives:
In several former studies, adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) had a reduced exercise capacity even with defects considered to be simple. Currently, children might get better medical management and less restrictions concerning an active lifestyle or sports activities. The exercise performance of this new generation of children with CHD has to be evaluated.
Methods:
In the year 2010, 88 children (12.7 years, 52 males), 11-14 years old, with various CHD performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test in our institution. These children were matched for age and gender with healthy subjects who underwent the same procedure at a school survey.
Results:
In comparison with healthy controls, children with CHD had a diminished peak oxygen uptake (CHD: 35.5 ml/min/kg vs controls: 42.4 ml/min/kg; P < 0.001) corresponding to 87.1% (CHD) and 99.5% (Controls) of the reference value, respectively. Peak oxygen uptake decreased with the severity of the heart defect (r = -0.410; P < 0.001). However, there was no difference in oxygen uptake at the ventilatory threshold (CHD: 20.6 ml/min/kg vs controls: 21.5 ml/min/kg; P = 0.68).
Conclusions:
Currently, children with CHD are not limited in their submaximal exercise performance. However, there is still a reduction in peak oxygen uptake.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
01:29Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
01:26Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
01:29Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
01:30Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation