Table 2.
Details of cardiac rehabilitation program characteristics of the included studies
| First Author | Start time of CR program | Type of Exercise(s) | Duration of exercise training | Intensity | Duration of CR (w) | Frequency (s/w) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wosornu et al.28 | NM | AE: arm circling and raising, step-ups, trunk rotation, bridging, hip abduction, trunk side lying, running, and star jumps RE: bench press, military press, biceps curl, upright row, pull down, push down, pulley row, quadriceps curl, hamstring curl, and sit ups | 12-40 min | AE: start with 3*10 and increase over time RE: start with 3*10 and 2-5 kg with increase over time | 24 | 3 |
| Belardinelli et al.29 | NM | Cycle ergometry | Warm-up: 15 min Main program: 30 min Cool-down: 8 min | Moderate aerobic training: 60% of peak O2 uptake | 24 | 3 |
| Yu et al.30 | 6 w | NM | 60 min | Moderate aerobic training: 65 to 85% of maximum aerobic capacity | 8 | 2 |
| Vona et al.31 | 0-3 w | Cycle ergometry | Warm-up: 10 min Main program: 40 min Cool-down: 10 min | Moderate aerobic training: 75% of maximum HR | 12 | 3 |
| Volaklis et al.32 | NM | AE: walking, running, cycling, cycle ergometry RE: bench press, seated row, leg extension, pull down, peck-deck, hamstring curl, curl-ups, and back extension | AE (2 sessions): Warm-up: 10 min Main program: 30-40 min (15-20 min running on treadmill and 15-20 min on ergometer) Cool-down: 10 min RE (2 sessions): Warm-up: 10 min Main program: 30-40 min (8 stations) Cool-down: 10 min | Aerobic sessions: 60-80% of maximum HR Resistance sessions: 60% of 1-RM (2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions) | 24 | 4 |
| Seki et al.34 | ≥ 24 w | Walking, bicycling, jogging, light isotonic exercises | Warm-up: 15 min Main program: 20-60 min Cool-down: 15 min | Moderate aerobic training Borg score: 12-13 | 24 | 1 |
| (Phase III) | ||||||
| Balen et al.33 | 6-9 d | Cycle ergometry | 45 min | Moderate aerobic intensity: 50%-60% of peak O2 uptake | 3 | 1 |
| Luk et al.35 | > 24 w | AE: treadmill, cycle ergometry, rowing, steps, arm ergometry RE: dumbbell, weight training | Warm-up: 5 min Main program: 50 min Cool-down: 5 min | AEs: 80% maximum HR (Progressive) RE: 80% maximum HR (Progressive) | 8 | 3 |
| Ghroubi et al.27 | 8-12 w | Cycle ergometry | Warm-up: 10 min Main program: 2*10 min (5 min rest) Cool-down: 10 min | 70% maximum HR | 8 | 3 |
| Aksoy et al.36 | NM | Ergometry | CAE: Warm-up: 5 min Main program: 25 min (with a certain intensity during the session) Cool-down: 5 min IAE: Warm-up: 5 min Main program: 25 min (60 s with determined intensity and 60 s with low intensity) Cool-down: 5 min | 75% of peak O2 uptake (Progressive) | 10 | 3 |
| Hassan and Nahas37 | > 48 w | Bicycle ergometry | Warm-up: 5-10 min Main program: 30 min Cool-down: 5-10 min | Mild to moderate intensity exercise: based on 11 to 14 of the Borg scale | 24 | 3 |
| Tamburus et al.38 | MI > 24 w PCI & CABG > 12 w | Cycle ergometry | Warm-up: 10 min Main program: 30-40 min Cool-down: 5-10 min | Moderate intensity exercise: 110% of VAT | 16 | 3 |
CR: Cardiac rehabilitation; w: Weeks; s/w: Session(s) per week; d: Days; NM: Not mentioned; AE: Aerobic exercise; RE: Resistance exercise; min: Minute; HR: Heart rate; CAE: Continuous aerobic exercise; IAE: Intermittent aerobic exercise; MI: Myocardial infraction; PCI: Percutaneous coronary intervention; CABG: Coronary artery bypass surgery; VAT: Ventilatory anaerobic threshold