Table 1. Baseline Participant Characteristics.
| Characteristic | Participantsa | |
|---|---|---|
| HIIT (n = 27) | MAT (n = 28) | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 63.8 (9.9) | 61.5 (9.9) |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 11 (40.7) | 8 (28.6) |
| Male | 16 (59.3) | 20 (71.4) |
| Race | ||
| American Indian | 0 | 1 (3.6) |
| Asian | 0 | 3 (10.7) |
| Black/African American | 4 (14.8) | 7 (25.0) |
| White | 23 (85.2) | 17 (60.7) |
| Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity | 1 (3.7) | 0 |
| Side of paresis | ||
| Left | 14 (51.9) | 14 (50.0) |
| Right | 13 (48.1) | 14 (50.0) |
| Stroke type | ||
| Ischemic | 15 (55.6) | 19 (67.9) |
| Hemorrhagic | 12 (44.4) | 9 (32.1) |
| Stroke chronicity, mean (SD), y | 2.7 (1.4) | 2.2 (1.2) |
| Aphasia present | 7 (25.9) | 7 (25.0) |
| Comorbid medical conditions | ||
| Any | 26 (96.3) | 27 (96.4) |
| History of myocardial infarction | 1 (3.7) | 2 (7.1) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 2 (7.4) | 5 (17.9) |
| History of lightheadedness and/or syncope | 4 (14.8) | 5 (17.9) |
| COPD | 3 (11.1) | 1 (3.6) |
| Diabetes | ||
| Any | 8 (29.6) | 9 (32.1) |
| Insulin dependent | 2 (25.0) | 2 (22.2) |
| Arthritis | 8 (29.6) | 10 (35.7) |
| History of cancer | 4 (14.8) | 3 (10.7) |
| Prescribed medication | ||
| Antihypertensive | ||
| Any | 23 (85.2) | 20 (71.4) |
| β-Blocker | 7 (25.9) | 11 (39.3) |
| Statin | 22 (81.5) | 23 (82.1) |
| Antispasmodic | 11 (40.7) | 12 (42.9) |
| Antidepressant | 20 (74.1) | 13 (46.4) |
| Pain reliever | 11 (40.7) | 11 (39.3) |
| Reported falling in previous 3 mo | 8 (29.6) | 7 (25.0) |
| BMI, mean (SD) | 28.9 (5.3) | 28.7 (4.6) |
| Functional ambulation categoryb | ||
| Mean (SD) | 3.3 (0.6) | 3.4 (0.8) |
| 2 | 2 (7.4) | 5 (17.9) |
| 3 | 14 (51.9) | 8 (28.6) |
| ≥4 | 11 (40.7) | 15 (53.6) |
| Orthotic and/or assistive device use | 18 (66.7) | 19 (67.9) |
| Orthotic device use | 12 (44.4) | 12 (42.9) |
| Solid ankle foot orthosis | 4 (14.8) | 2 (7.1) |
| Articulated or flexible ankle foot orthosis | 7 (25.9) | 7 (25.0) |
| Assistive device use | ||
| Any | 16 (59.3) | 18 (64.3) |
| Single-point cane | 8 (29.6) | 11 (39.3) |
| Narrow-based quad cane | 5 (18.5) | 1 (3.6) |
| Wide-based quad cane | 3 (11.1) | 5 (17.9) |
| Front-wheeled walker | 0 | 1 (3.6) |
| Fugl-Meyer lower limb motor score, mean (SD)c | 23.8 (5.1) | 22.8 (5.1) |
| Self-selected gait speed | ||
| Mean (SD), m/s | 0.65 (0.29) | 0.62 (0.33) |
| Mean (SD), % normative value | 50.5 (23.3) | 47.3 (25.1) |
| <0.4 m/s | 7 (25.9) | 7 (25.0) |
| 6-min Walk test distance | ||
| Mean (SD), m | 248 (136) | 230 (130) |
| Mean (SD), % normative value | 48.5 (26.3) | 44.3 (26.8) |
| Ventilatory threshold VO2 | ||
| Mean (SD), mL/kg/min | 12.1 (3.9) | 11.6 (3.9) |
| Mean (SD), % normative value | 93.1 (24.4) | 82.5 (26.2) |
| Peak VO2 | ||
| Mean (SD), mL/kg/min | 14.3 (4.4) | 14.0 (4.8) |
| Mean (SD), % normative value | 60.4 (15.9) | 55.1 (19.3) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HIIT, high-intensity interval training; MAT, moderate-intensity aerobic training; VO2, oxygen consumption rate.
Data are presented as the number (percentage) of participants unless otherwise indicated.
Category 2 indicates dependent, level 1 (requires continuous or intermittent light touch to assist balance or coordination from no more than 1 person during ambulation on level surfaces to prevent falling); category 3, dependent, supervision (can physically ambulate on level surfaces without manual contact of another person but requires standby guarding of no more than 1 person because of poor judgment, questionable cardiac status, or the need for verbal cuing to complete the task); and category ≥4, independent, level surfaces (can ambulate independently on level surfaces).
Range, 0 to 34; higher scores indicate less motor impairment.