ABSTRACT
Exercise training has been shown to be beneficial in patients recovering from MI, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), coronary angioplasty, valve surgery and cardiac transplantation, as well as in patients with stable angina and compensated congestive heart failure.9,11,12 A reduction in exerciseinduced ischemia (determined by ST segment depression13-15 or thallium perfusion abnormalities16,17 has been demonstrated as a result of extended high intensity exercise training, although the exact mechanism remains undetermined. Patients with coronary heart disease who have undergone exercise training have also demonstrated improvement in submaximal endurance capacity, demonstrating an increase in total exercise time with a lower heart rate and blood pressure response than that attained pre-training.12,18 In the elderly population, an increase in exercise capacity is also achieved through exercise training but does not persist after cessation, which highlights the need for continued training.19
