Table 1.
Study | Type of exercise and population | Interval exercise | Continuous exercise | Frequency | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Previous review [39] |
aArnadottir [53] n = 60 2007 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
≥ 80% peak power, followed by 30 to 40% peak power Duration: 39 min (intervals of 3 min: 3 min) |
≥ 65% peak power Duration: 39 min |
2 x per week for 16 weeks |
Coppoolse [54] n = 21 1999 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
90% peak power interspersed with 45% peak power, plus continuous cycling at 60% Duration: 30 min (intervals of 1 min: 2 min) |
60% peak power Duration: 30 min |
5 x per week for 8 weeks | |
Mador [55] n = 41 2009 |
Cycling or treadmill in people with COPD |
150% of continuous exercise target interspersed with 75% of target Duration: 20 to 40 min (intervals of 1 min: 2 min) |
50% peak power and at 80% of 6MWT average speed Duration: 20 to 40 min |
3 x per week for 8 weeks | |
Nasis [56] n = 42 2009 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
100% peak power and 45% peak power Duration: 30 to 40 min (intervals of 30 s) |
60% peak power Duration: 30 to 40 min |
3 x per week for 10 weeks | |
a Puhan [57] n = 98 2006 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
50% peak power of a steep-ramp test, followed by 10% peak power Duration: 25 min (intervals of 20 s: 40 s) |
≥ 70% peak power Duration: 25 min |
5 x per week for 3 weeks | |
Varga [58] n = 71 2007 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
50% peak power interspersed with 10% peak power Duration: 45 min (intervals of 20 s: 40 s) |
≥ 70% peak power Duration: 45 min |
3 x per week for 8 weeks | |
Vogiatzis [30] n = 36 2002 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
100% peak power and 45% peak power (intervals increased progressively to 140% peak power) Duration: 40 min (intervals of 30 s) |
50% peak power, increasing to 70% by the end of the program Duration: 40 min |
2 x per week for 12 weeks | |
Vogiatzis [59] n = 19 2005 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
100% peak power and 45% peak power, (intervals increased progressively to 140% peak power) Duration: 45 min (intervals of 30 s) |
60% peak power, increasing to 70% by the end of the program Duration: 45 min |
3 x per week for 10 weeks | |
Additional studies |
aBrØnstad [60] n = 20 2013 |
Uphill treadmill walking in people with COPD |
~ 90% maximal heart rate (‘work’) Duration: 38 min (intervals of 4 min: 4 min) |
70% maximum heart rate Duration: 47 min |
3 x per week for 10 weeks |
Rodriguez [61] n = 29 2016 |
Cycling in people with COPD |
70 to 100% Wmax (progressively increased over the program), interspersed with 40 to 50% Wmax Duration: 40 min (intervals of 2 min: 3 min) |
60% Wmax Duration: 40 min |
3 x per week for 8 weeks |
Abbreviations: 6MWD six minute walk distance, 6MWT six minute walk test, CI confidence interval, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, VO2peak peak rate of oxygen uptake, Wmax maximum work rate. a identifies studies whereby the total work undertaken was unmatched between exercise training programs. The studies by Puhan et al. [57] and Varga et al. [58] report prescribing an intensity equivalent to 50% peak power of a steep-ramp test. This protocol is known to produce much higher maximum work rates than the traditional incremental / ramp protocols. In both studies, the authors clarify that work rates equivalent to 50% of the maximum achieved on this test is the equivalent to ~ 90% of maximum work rate achieved during traditional protocols. Rodriguez at al [61] reported that during the first 2 weeks of the program, cycling at high work rate was set to a minimum of 70% Wmax and was thereafter increased at 5% every week so that by week 3, training was being undertaken at a sufficiently high intensity to be classified as ‘HIIT’