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Relationship Between Leg Muscle Strength and Muscle Oxygenation Dynamics During Incremental Exercise in Patients With
Taiki Yamasaki1,2, Shinji Nemoto2,3, Yusuke Kasahara4
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kawasaki Municipal Tama Hospital Kawasaki Japan.
Circulation Reports
|July 10, 2026
Summary
Higher leg muscle strength in heart failure patients correlates with better muscle oxygen use during exercise. This finding suggests strength training may improve exercise capacity in heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Skeletal Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2) is a key prognostic marker in heart failure (HF).
- Skeletal muscle oxygen utilization significantly impacts V̇O2.
- Muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) via near-infrared spectroscopy indicates peripheral oxygenation, but its link to muscle strength in HF is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between leg muscle strength and muscle oxygenation dynamics during exercise in men with HF.
- To determine if muscle strength predicts changes in SmO2 during incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX).
Main Methods:
- Twenty-six men with HF were divided into high and low leg strength groups.
- CPX was conducted with simultaneous monitoring of SmO2 and total hemoglobin (THb) in the vastus lateralis.
- Multivariable linear mixed-effects models analyzed associations between SmO2 changes and strength, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- The high-strength group exhibited greater SmO2 reductions during exercise.
- Knee extension strength was a significant predictor of SmO2 changes (P=0.016).
- Changes in THb also predicted SmO2 dynamics (P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Greater leg muscle strength is associated with improved muscle oxygenation dynamics during incremental exercise in heart failure patients.
- This relationship is independent of changes in muscle blood volume.
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