Ergospirometric evaluation of 53 physical exercises used in cardiological rehabilitation

: Fifty-three calisthenics used in a cardiac rehabilitation program were evaluated in a group of patients who, 30-60 days after myocardial infarction, had undergone a multistage symptom-limited bicycle exercise test without S-T segment modifications or arrhythmias. The following measurements were made oxygen uptake (VO2), oxygen uptake/Kg (VO2/Kg), ventilation/m' (VE), heart rate/m' (HR), systolic blood pressure (sBP) and METS. A good correlation was observed during the physical exercises between HR and VO2 (r = 0.59; p less than 0.001) and between HR and VO2/Kg (r = 0.64; p less than 0.001). Such correlation was similar to that observed during bicycle ergometric test. Lower values were obtained for the correlations between sBP and both VO2 and VO2/Kg, but they were still statistically significant (p less than 0.001). Heart rate and sBP were lower during calisthenics than during bicycle exercise from a VO2 level of 600-800 ml up. It is therefore possible to tailor a safe training program based on calisthenics whose level of energy expenditure is known: HRxsBP reached during such physical exercises will be lower than during bicycle ergometric test, VO2 being equal.