Table 4.
Characteristics of included exercise training studies in humans (n = 20).
| Author (Year) | Design | Cohort | Duration | Exercise Training (FITT) |
| Aerobic exercise training | ||||
| [76] Shoemaker et al. (2009) |
Pre-post (case report) |
2 humans male (n = 1), age: 50 years, iPAH; female (n = 1), age: 57 years, sclerodema |
6 weeks | cycling exercise: 3 days/week; workload: 50% of CPET peak, duration: 35 min |
| [69] Chan et al. (2013) | RCT |
23 females ET (n = 10), age: 53 ± 13 years, WHO I–IV. Control (n = 13), age: 55.5 ± 8.5 years, WHO II–III |
10 weeks, outpatient institutional-based | treadmill running: 24–30 sessions; 70–80% HRR; duration: 30–45 min) |
| [88] Weinstein et al. (2013) | RCT |
24 females ET (n = 10), age: 53.4 ± 12.4 years, WHO I–IV. Control (n = 13), age: 55.3 ± 8.7 years, WHO II–III |
10 weeks, outpatient institutional-based | same as [69] Chan et al. (2013) |
| [77] Brown et al. (2018) | Pre-post |
12 females age: 44 ± 4 years, NYHA II–III |
12 weeks, home-based | walking exercise: over ground vs. treadmill; 6 days/week, 65–75% HRR; duration: 25 ↗ 45 min (by end of week 2) |
| Author (year) | Design | Cohort | Duration | Exercise training (FITT) |
| Anaerobic exercise training | ||||
| [73] Gerhardt et al. (2017) | RCT |
22 humans ET (n = 11) 64% female, age: 65.1 ± 5.0 years, 55% WHO II. Control (n = 11), 55% female, 46 ± 3.7 years, 64% WHO II |
4 weeks |
WBV: 16 sessions of 1h duration; muscle specific ET Control-WBV: no training (Weeks 1–5) and subsequently WBV training (Weeks 5–8) |
| Author (year) | Design | Cohort | Duration | Exercise Training (FITT) |
| Combined training interventions–aerobic + strength | ||||
| [89] Man et al. (2009) | Pre-post |
19 humans 79% female, age 42 ± 13 years, WHO II–III |
12 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
interval cycling: 3 days/week; 50–75% VO2 peak; 10–5 sets of 2–5min, rest: 2 min quadriceps strength training: 3 days/week; 50–75% 1 RM; 3-times 12–15 repetitions quadriceps endurance training: 3 days/week; 30–40% 1 RM; 3–6 sets 30–60 repetitions |
| [90] Mainguy et al. (2010) |
Pre-post (Case report) |
5 humans 80% female, 40 ± 15 years, WHO II–III |
12 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
treadmill running: 3 days/week; 85% of mean speed at 6 MWD; duration: 15 min cycling exercise: 3 days/week; 60% max. workload; duration: 10–15 min strength training: 3 days/week; 2-times 10–12 repetitions |
| [91] Martínez-Quintana et al. (2010) | non-RCT |
8 humans NYHA II–III ET (n = 4), 50% female, age: 22.7 ± 6.9 years; Control (n = 4), 25% female, age: 32.7 ± 5.5 years |
12 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
interval cycling: 2 days/week; 80% HRmax; 24 min of 10–25 W with 0.5 min peaks of 20–50 W strength training: 2 days/week; 1–2 kg weights |
| [92] Fox et al. (2011) | non-RCT |
22 humans 91% PAH, NYHA II–III. ET (n = 11), 91% female age: 57 ± 3.7 years Control (n = 11), 45% female age: 46 ± 4.5 years |
12 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
block 1 (Weeks 1–6): interval training 2 days/week; treadmill running, cycling and step climbing; 60–80% HRmax; duration: 60 min block 2 (Weeks 7–12): continuous aerobic exercise: 2 days/week strength training: 2 days/week; 0.5–1 kg dumbbells home-based exercises: 7 days/week; stair climbing and brisk walking |
| [53] Ganderton et al. (2011) | RCT |
10 humans WHO II–III. ET (n = 5), 100% female age: 51 years; Control (n = 5), 80% female, age 53 years |
12 weeks, outpatient institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
institutional ET: treadmill running: 3 days/week; 70% of age predicted HRmax; incline 3%; duration: 10 min walking: 3 days/week; 60–70% of age predicted HRmax; duration: 10 min cycling: 3 days/week; 70% of age predicted HRmax; duration: 10 min strength training: 3 days/week; sit-to-stand, step-up, upper limb; 2x20 repititions, 1–3 kg dumbbells home ET: walking: 3 days/week; HR at 120 bpm; duration: 20 min strength training: 3 days/week; sit-to-stand, step-up; HR at 120 bpm; duration: 20 min |
| Author (year) | Design | Cohort | Duration | Exercise Training (FITT) |
| Combined training interventions–aerobic + strength + RMT | ||||
| [11] Mereles et al. (2006) | RCT |
30 humans 80% PAH, WHO II–IV; ET (n = 15), 67% female, age: 47 ± 12 years; Control (n = 15), 67% female, age: 53 ± 14 years |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
hospital ET: interval cycling: 7 days/week; 10–25 min circles of ½ min low and 1 min higher workloads (10–60 W); intensity limited by HRmax walking: 5 days/week; flat ground and uphill; duration: 60 min strength training: 5 days/week; 0.5–1 kg dumbbells; duration: 30 min RMT: 5 days/week, duration: 30 min home ET: cycling: 5 days/week; duration: 15–30 min walking: 2 days/week strength training: every other day; duration: 15–30 min RMT: every other day; duration: 15–30 min |
| [37] Grünig et al. (2011) | Pre-post |
58 humans 81% PAH, 72% female, age: 51 ± 12 years, WHO II–IV |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [12] Grünig et al. (2012a) | Pre-post |
183 humans 73% PAH, 69% female age: 53 ± 15 years, WHO I–IV |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [93] Grünig et al. (2012b) | Pre-post |
21 humans 95% female, age: 53 ± 15 years, WHO II–IV |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [36] Becker-Grünig et al. (2013) | Pre-post |
20 humans 80% female, age: 48 ± 11 years, WHO II–III |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [94] Ley et al. (2013) | RCT |
20 humans 80% PAH, WHO II–III; ET (n = 20), 80% female, age: 47 ± 8 years Control (n = 20), 60% female, age: 54 ± 14 years |
3 weeks, institutional-based | same as the hospital ET by [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [95] Kabitz et al. (2014) |
Pre-post (case series) |
7 humans 57% female, age: 59.6 ± 11.1 years, WHO III–IV |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based | same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [96] Ehlken et al. (2016) | RCT |
87 humans 70% PAH, WHO II–IV; ET (n = 46); 57% female, age: 55 ±15 years Control (n = 41), 51% female, age: 57 ± 15 years |
3 weeks, institutional-based + 12 weeks, home-based |
same as [11] Mereles et al. (2006) |
| [97] Bussotti et al. (2017) | Pre-post |
15 humans 87% female, age: 45 ± 13 years, WHO II–III |
4 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
cycling: 5 days/week;<70% HRmax; duration: 30 min strength training: 5 days/week; 0.5–1 kg; 3-times 10–15 repetitions RMT: 5 days/week; duration 10–30 min, slow breathing sessions |
| [98] González-Saiz et al. (2017) | RCT (with blocking on sex) |
40 humans 90% PAH, NYHA I–III; ET (n = 20), 60% female, age: 46 ± 11 years Control (n = 20), 60% female, age: 45 ± 12 years |
8 weeks, outpatient institutional-based |
cycling: 5 days/week; 50% power output of AT, 20–40 min strength training: (3 days/week; circuit training 3 sets, large muscle groups specific RMT: 6 days/week twice a day |
6 MWD, 6-min walking distance; AT, anaerobic threshold; BPM, beats per minute; CPET, cardiopulmonary exercise testing; ET, exercise training; FITT, frequency, intensity, type and time of exercise; HR, heart rate; HRR, heart rate reserve; iPAH, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension; NYHA, New York Heart Association; PAH, pulmonary arterial hypertension; 1RM, one-repetition maximum; RMT, respiratory muscle training; VO2, volume of oxygen uptake; WBV, whole-body vibration; WHO, World Health Organization.