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Review
. 2022 Jan-Feb:70:66-72.
doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2022.01.004. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Resistance exercise for cardiac rehabilitation

Danielle L Kirkman  1 , Duck-Chul Lee  2 , Salvatore Carbone  3
Affiliations
Review

Resistance exercise for cardiac rehabilitation

Danielle L Kirkman et al. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2022 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Lean mass abnormalities are highly prevalent in patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation (CR). As such, current guidelines recommend incorporating resistance exercise (RE) into the exercise prescription of Phase II-IV CR. The effects of RE on health-related outcomes in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) have not been extensively investigated in comparison to aerobic exercise, the traditional modality of exercise implemented in CR. The purpose of this review is to highlight the growing prevalence of lean mass abnormalities such as dynapenia and sarcopenia in CVD and briefly outline the contributing pathophysiology of these impairments as potential targets for RE training. An update on the current evidence pertaining to the effects of RE on exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, body composition, CV health, and quality of life in CR patient populations is provided. The current recommendations for RE training in CR are discussed. Future directions for research and clinical practice in this field are highlighted, and included the need to identify the most efficacious principles of resistance training for different health related outcomes in CVD, as well as the suggested drive towards a 'personalized medicine' approach to exercise prescription in CR.

Keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Cardiovascular disease; Resistance training; Sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None to declare.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) present with multifaceted pathophysiological contributors to lean mass abnormalities that are exacerbated by physical inactivity. The physiological consequences of sarcopenia in these patient populations augment the progressions of CVD, initiating a vicious cycle between lean mass abnormalities and CVD. Resistance exercise (RE) training implemented into CR as a therapeutic target to improve skeletal muscle health has the potential to reverse this cycle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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