ADHERENCE IN THE TRAINING LEVELS COMPARISON TRIAL

In the Training Levels Comparison Trial, 197 male coronary heart disea se patients were randomized to low or high intensity training with tar get heart rates, which corresponded to 50% and 85% of the VO2max achie ved on the previous exercise test, respectively. Patients were to exer cise at their assigned intensity level at three 1-h long supervised se ssions per week for 2 yr. This paper reports on two components of adhe rence: attendance at exercise sessions and achievement of heart rates in the target range. During the first year of training, the average pe rcent of exercise sessions attended (mean +/- SE) for the low intensit y group (64.0% +/- 2.5%) was significantly higher than for the high in tensity group (55.5% +/- 2.7%). At the end of 1 yr of training, 54% an d 37% of the low and high intensity patients, respectively, achieved h eart rates within 5 beats . min(-1) of their target heart rates. Altho ugh the tow intensity program was preferable to achieve maximum attend ance, attenders on the high intensity program achieved higher heart ra tes. These results suggest that to maximize the achieved heart rate, i t would be optimal to motivate a cardiac rehabilitation patient to tra in at the high intensity level for a prolonged period of time.