Only twice did I ever get even minimally exhausted while doing therapy in the hospital. Once on a bike machine where I was chasing a rabbit, the rabbit won, and once on a stepping machine. Of course the hospital never found out my cardiovascular fitness. 3 years post stroke at a physical I had a resting heart rate of 54 at age 53, level of an athlete. My doctor asked what exercises I was doing, 'I've done no exercises for the past 3 years'.
Determining Safe Participation in Aerobic Exercise Early After Stroke Through a Graded Submaximal Exercise Test
Affiliations
- PMID: 32494824
- DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa103
Abstract
Objective:
The benefits of aerobic exercise early after stroke are well
known, but concerns about cardiovascular risk are a barrier to clinical
implementation. Symptom-limited exercise testing with
electrocardiography (ECG) is recommended but not always feasible. The
purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of and
corresponding exercise intensities at which ECG abnormalities occurred
during submaximal exercise testing, that would limit safe exercise
prescription beyond those intensities.
Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of ECGs from 195 patients who completed submaximal exercise testing during stroke rehabilitation. A graded submaximal exercise test was conducted with 5- or 12-lead ECG and was terminated on the basis of predetermined endpoint criteria (heart rate, perceived exertion, signs, or symptoms). ECGs were retrospectively reviewed for exercise-induced abnormalities and their associated heart rates.
Results: The peak heart rate achieved was 65.4% (SD = 10.5%) of the predicted maximum heart rate or 29.1% (SD = 15.5%) of the heart rate reserve (adjusted for beta-blocker medications). The test was terminated more often because of perceived exertion (93/195) than because of heart rate limits (60/195). Four patients (2.1%) exhibited exercise-induced horizontal or downsloping ST segment depression of ≥1 mm. Except for 1 patient, the heart rate at test termination was comparable to the heart rate associated with the onset of the ECG abnormality.
Conclusion: A graded submaximal exercise test without ECG but with symptom monitoring and conservative heart rate and perceived exertion endpoints may facilitate safe exercise intensities early after stroke. Symptom-limited exercise testing with ECG is still recommended when progressing to higher-intensity exercise.
Impact: Concerns about cardiovascular risk are a barrier to physical therapists implementing aerobic exercise in stroke rehabilitation. This study showed that, in the absence of access to exercise testing with ECG, submaximal testing with conservative heart rate and perceived exertion endpoints and symptom monitoring can support physical therapists in the safe prescription of aerobic exercise early after stroke.
Keywords:
Exercise Therapy; Physical Therapists; Stroke.
Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of ECGs from 195 patients who completed submaximal exercise testing during stroke rehabilitation. A graded submaximal exercise test was conducted with 5- or 12-lead ECG and was terminated on the basis of predetermined endpoint criteria (heart rate, perceived exertion, signs, or symptoms). ECGs were retrospectively reviewed for exercise-induced abnormalities and their associated heart rates.
Results: The peak heart rate achieved was 65.4% (SD = 10.5%) of the predicted maximum heart rate or 29.1% (SD = 15.5%) of the heart rate reserve (adjusted for beta-blocker medications). The test was terminated more often because of perceived exertion (93/195) than because of heart rate limits (60/195). Four patients (2.1%) exhibited exercise-induced horizontal or downsloping ST segment depression of ≥1 mm. Except for 1 patient, the heart rate at test termination was comparable to the heart rate associated with the onset of the ECG abnormality.
Conclusion: A graded submaximal exercise test without ECG but with symptom monitoring and conservative heart rate and perceived exertion endpoints may facilitate safe exercise intensities early after stroke. Symptom-limited exercise testing with ECG is still recommended when progressing to higher-intensity exercise.
Impact: Concerns about cardiovascular risk are a barrier to physical therapists implementing aerobic exercise in stroke rehabilitation. This study showed that, in the absence of access to exercise testing with ECG, submaximal testing with conservative heart rate and perceived exertion endpoints and symptom monitoring can support physical therapists in the safe prescription of aerobic exercise early after stroke.
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf
of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For
permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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