EFFECT OF WARMING OF EXERCISING LEGS ON EXERCISE CAPACITY IN PATIENTSWITH IMPAIRED EXERCISE TOLERANCE

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether warming of exercising legs improves exercise capacity in patients with cardiac disease and low exercise tolerance. Background. Exercising muscle tem perature reflects both muscle metabolic rate and muscle blood flow. In crease in muscle temperature in exercising legs is impaired in patient s with chronic heart failure. We hypothesized that the mechanisms resp onsible for impairment of temperature increase in exercising muscle mi ght be related to those responsible for low exercise tolerance. Method s. We studied 17 patients with cardiac disease whose anaerobic thresho ld (AT) ranged from 6.6 to 14.8 ml/kg/min (mean 11.2 +/- 1.9 SD). Subj ects performed symptom-limited sitting cycle ergometer exercise with o r without warming of the thighs. Both thighs were warmed by use of hot packs fixed by supporters. To determine the effect of the supporters themselves on AT and peak V over dot O-2, the same ergometer exercise was performed by 7 patients with or without supporters. Peak V over do t O-2 and AT were determined by concomitant respiratory gas monitoring . Results. 1) Warming of the thighs increased deep temperature in the thighs (1.0 similar to 2.8 degrees C). 2) AT and peak V over dot O-2 w ere significantly improved in the warming exercise compared with the n on-warming exercise (p < 0.01, p < 0.01) 3) There was no significant d ifference in AT or peak V over dot O-2 between the exercises with and without supporters. Conclusion. The findings of this study indicate th at warming of exercising legs improves exercise capacity in patients w ith cardiac disease and low exercise tolerance.