Assessment of a physical training program in patients with myocardial infarction in a tropical country

Twenty-five myocardial infarction patients, included in a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programme, were studied in order to assess the physical training effects upon several physiological parameters in a country with a tropical climate. Training consisted of three-times weekly supervised sessions with running, under telemetric control, accomplished continuously, during thirty minutes at 120 m/min as mean speed. Symptom-limited exercise stress testing was initially performed and repeated after three months of training. 88% of patients showed an increase in physical working capacity, 84% in exercise time duration and 80% in the myocardial efficiency index at subsequent ergometries. A decrease of double product and submaximal heart rate was observed. Angina, ECG ischaemic alterations and arrhythmias during exercise in the first test disappeared or occurred with higher workload in the second ergometry. Mean resting acid concentration, 1.28 +/- 0.36 mmol/l, increased immediately after exercise to 2.03 +/- 0.58 mmol/l. The prescribed physical training programme showed satisfactory results and increased the patients' quality of life, even in a humid and moderately hot climate.