The Effect of High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with Short Intervals and Inactive Recovery on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health-related Quality of Life in Men with Hypertension and CAD after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), quality of life and functional capacity decline. In CAD patients, studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is superior to conventional moderate to-high intensity continuous training (MICT) for improving functional capacity. Mental health is as important as physical health, but few studies have examined the effects of HIIT on quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with short intervals and inactive recovery on cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life in cardiac patients after angioplasty.

This study is a randomized clinical trial (RCT). twenty-four available male patients with hypertension and CAD after angioplasty were randomly divided into 2 equal groups of 12 subjects, including an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group performed a HIIT protocol with short intervals and inactive recovery for eight weeks, with three sessions per week (30 seconds of activity and 30 seconds of rest), while the control group received no treatment. Research instruments, including the Storer-Davis test, the Bruce test, and the SF-36 questionnaire, were administered to patients in the two groups before and after the test. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and  T-test for paired samples.

After 8 weeks of HIIT with short intervals and inactive recovery, the results of the study indicate a significant increase in VO2peak (P=0.002) and improvement in all areas of patients’ quality of life (P ≤ 0.05).

The results indicate that HIIT with short intervals and inactive recovery has the potential to improve VO2peak and all domains of quality of life in cardiac patients after PCI.