Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

A systematic review of high-intensity interval training as an exercise intervention for intermittent claudication

Pymer, Sean; Palmer, Joanne; Harwood, Amy E.; Ingle, Lee; Smith, George E.; Chetter, Ian C.

Authors

Profile Image

Mr Sean Pymer Sean.Pymer@hull.ac.uk
Academic Clinical Exercise Physiologist

Joanne Palmer

Amy E. Harwood



Abstract

Background
Intermittent claudication (IC) is the most common symptom of peripheral arterial disease, which significantly affects walking ability, functional capacity and quality of life. Supervised exercise programs (SEP) are recommended as first-line treatment, but recruitment and adherence rates are poor. The time required to complete a SEP is the most common barrier to participation cited by patients who decline. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more time efficient than current SEPs and therefore has the potential to overcome this barrier. We conducted a systematic review to appraise the evidence for HIIT programs for IC.

Methods
MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched for terms related to HIIT and IC. Randomized and nonrandomized trials that investigated HIIT for the treatment of IC were included, with no exclusions based on exercise modality, protocol, or use of a comparator arm. Outcome measures were walking distances, peak oxygen uptake, recruitment and adherence rates, and quality of life. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool and study quality using a modified Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale.

Results
Nine articles reporting eight studies were included in the review. HIIT seems to improve walking distances and oxygen uptake in relation to controls, with improvements attainable in just 6 weeks. When HIIT was compared with low-intensity exercise, it seemed that longer low-intensity programs were required to obtain similar benefits to those from short-term HIIT.

Conclusions
Initial evidence suggests that HIIT may provide benefits for patients with IC. Initially, pilot studies of low-volume, short-term HIIT vs usual SEPs are required. This strategy will allow for larger randomized, controlled trials to be appropriately designed and adequately powered to further explore the potential benefits of HIIT in IC.

Citation

Pymer, S., Palmer, J., Harwood, A. E., Ingle, L., Smith, G. E., & Chetter, I. C. (2019). A systematic review of high-intensity interval training as an exercise intervention for intermittent claudication. Journal of vascular surgery, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2019.03.050

Journal Article Type Review
Acceptance Date Mar 7, 2019
Online Publication Date Jun 27, 2019
Publication Date Jun 27, 2019
Deposit Date Apr 15, 2019
Publicly Available Date Jun 28, 2020
Journal Journal of Vascular Surgery
Print ISSN 0741-5214
Electronic ISSN 1097-6809
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2019.03.050
Keywords High-intensity interval training; Peripheral arterial disease; Intermittent claudication; Exercise
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1363228
Publisher URL https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0741521419310353

Files






You might also like



Downloadable Citations