Exercise‐based rehabilitation strategies in heart transplant recipients: Focus on high‐intensity interval training
Daniele Masarone, Enrico Melillo, Andrea Petraio, Fabio Valente, Rita Gravino, Marina Verrengia, Giuseppe Pacileo
Abstract
Despite progressive improvement in medical therapy and standard care, the exercise capacity of heart transplant recipients is reduced compared with age-matched healthy individuals. Exercise-based rehabilitation programs have been shown to improve the exercise capacity of transplant patients through a multifactorial effect. In this context, high-intensity interval exercise is a growing field of research, with current evidence suggesting a major benefit in heart transplant recipients compared with a conventional training protocol. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of the mechanisms involved in the reduced exercise capacity of heart transplant patients and a review of current rehabilitation strategies with a special focus on the mechanisms and clinical effects of high-intensity interval training exercise.