Pre-Participation Physical Fitness does not Influence Adherence to a Supervised Exercise Program

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is proven to reduce mortality.
• Long-term adherence to regular physical activity is crucial for CR effectiveness.
• Identifying factors influencing adherence to supervised exercise programs (SEP) is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of pre-participation aerobic and non-aerobic physical fitness on medium-term adherence to SEP.
• To determine if baseline fitness levels predict sustained participation in CR programs.

Main Methods:

• 567 participants (65 ± 12 years, 68% men) in SEP were analyzed.
• Adherence was defined as <6 months (non-adherent, NAD) vs. ≥6 months (adherent, AD).
• Aerobic fitness (VO2max/body weight) and non-aerobic fitness (flexibility, muscle power) were assessed and normalized.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in aerobic (P-VO2) or non-aerobic (P-FLX, P-MPW) fitness between AD and NAD groups.
• A slight advantage for AD over NAD was observed in the lower tertile of muscle power (P-MPW) (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Pre-participation aerobic and non-aerobic fitness levels do not appear to be significant predictors of medium-term adherence to SEP.
• While useful for exercise prescription, baseline fitness may not be the primary driver for sustained participation in CR.