To Heal a Heart, Train Harder

Not Just for Athletes, Intense Exercise Replaces Slow, Steady Regimen

By KATHERINE HOBSON
WSJ

Telling heart patients to really push themselves during exercise sounds risky. But a growing body of research suggests that a workout routine athletes use to get in shape may do the same for some patients.

High-intensity interval training, workouts that consist of short bursts of intense exercise and rest periods, may be beneficial to people with heart problems and those at risk for diabetes. Triathlon coach Neil Cook talks to WSJ's Christina Tsuei about the method and why he thinks it's so effective in improving heart health.

Some scientists and clinics are backing the use of high-intensity interval training, which involves short spurts of intense exercise at 85% to 95% of maximum heart rate alternating with periods of moderate exercise. Heart patients have traditionally built up fitness with steady sessions of aerobic exercise aimed at keeping the heart beating at about 70% of its maximum rate. That's meant to give the heart a workout without risking chest pain or a cardiac event.

Using intense exercise with patients suffering from heart failure and coronary artery disease, and those recovering from bypass surgery and heart attacks, is still controversial. Even proponents of the approach say more research is needed. But studies to date suggest that intense interval training improves the ability of the body in at least some patients to transport and use oxygen—which is generally associated with living longer—more effectively than a steady, moderate workout. The technique is also being studied in people with hypertension, diabetes and other conditions.

Intense interval training is commonly used by athletes to increase their speed and endurance. Alternating the hard work with periods of more moderate exercise enables them to accumulate the benefits of an intense workout.

(More here.)