The Effects of Combined Exercise Training on Exercise Capacity in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Seventy patients in cardiac rehabilitation with maximal exercise capacity less than 1.4 watt per kilogram bodyweight will be randomized 1:1 into either an intervention training (IN) group or usual care (UC). The IN patients will perform supervised endurance and resistance exercise for approximately 90 minutes once a week and traditional cardiac rehabilitation (TCR) once a week; the UC patients will perform TCR twice a week. The intervention is planned for six months with a follow-up of a further six months. The primary investigation is differences between IN and UC with regard to changes in exercise capacity (max watt/kgBW).