Summary
Graded treadmill tests to maximal exercise were given to 24 children 1 year or more after open-heart surgery and to 26 age- and sex-matched controls, before and after 9 weeks of exercise training to test whether or not they could increase their aerobic fitness levels. The corrected cardiac lesions included tetralogy of Fallot, aortic stenosis, transposition of the great arteries and atrioventricular canal (AVC). Maximal exercise variables measured were heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), and workload (stage of exercise and time on treadmill). The results of the pretraining tests indicated that the fitness levels of the 24 patients were significantly less than those of the controls. Of the original groups, 9 controls and 12 patients satisfactorily completed the training (jogging) program. The results of the post-training tests indicated that both the patients and controls significantly improved their fitness levels. Specifically, most subjects improved their maximal workload with little or no increase in maximal HR or VO2.
In conclusion, children after open-heart surgery for complex congenital heart disease can further improve their work capacity by a dynamic exercise program. After training, they are able to do more work at a given VO2.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen TH, Peng MT, Chen KP, Huang TF, Chang C, Fang HS (1956) Prediction of total adiposity from skinfolds and the curvilinear relationship between external and internal adiposity.Metabolism 5:346–352
Barnard RJ, Mac Alpin R, Kattus AA, Buckberg GD (1977) Effects of training on myocardial oxygen supply/demand balance.Circulation 56:289–291
Brown CH, Harrower JR, Deeteo MF (1972) The effects of cross country running on pre and adolescent girls.Med Sci Sports 4(1):1–5
Bruce RA, Kusumi F, Hosmer D (1973) Maximal oxygen intake and normographic assessment of functional aerobic impairment in cardiovascular disease.Am Heart J 85:546–562
Cummings GR (1978) Maximal exercise capacity of children with heart defects.Am J Cardiol 42:613–619
Cunningham DA, Van Waterschoot BM, Paterson DH, Lefcoe M, Sangal SP (1977) Reliability and reproducibility of maximal oxygen uptake measurement in children.Med Sci Sports 9:104–108
Elrick H, Riffenburg R (1974) Euexia (optimal health: body weight).Proc San Diego Blomed Symp 13:41–46
Epstein SE, Beiser GD, Goldstein RE, Rosing DR, Redwood DR, Morrow AG (1973) Hemodynamic abnormalities in response to mild and intense upright exercise following operative correction of an atrial septal defect or tetralogy of Fallot.Circulation 47:1065–1075
Goldberg SJ, Mendes F, Hurwitz R (1969) Maximal exercise capability of children as a function of specific cardiac defects.Am J Cardiol 23:349–359
Goldberg B, Fripp RR, Lister G, Loke J, Nichols JA, Talner NS (1981) Effect of physical training on exercise performance of children following surgical repair of congenital heart disease.Pediatrics 68:691–699
Guidelines for Graded Exercise Testing and Exercise Prescription. Am College of Sports Med. Lea and Febiger, Phila, 1980, p 131
James FW, Kaplan S, Schwartz DC, Chou T, Sandker MJ, Naylor V (1976) Response to exercise in patients after total surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot.Circulation 54:671–679
Jarmakani J, Canent RV Jr (1974) Pre-operative and post-operative right ventricular function in children with transposition of the heart vessels.Circulation 50(Suppl II):39–45
Leon AS, Blackburn H (1977) The relationship of physical activity to coronary heart disease and life expectancy.Ann NY Acad Sci 301:561–578
Lussier L, Buskirk ER (1977) Effects of an endurance training regimen on assessment of work capacity in prepubertal children.Ann NY Acad Sci 301:734–747
Mocellin R, Wasmund U (1973) Investigation of the influence of a running program on the cardiovascular and motor performance capacity in 53 boys and girls of a second and third grade primary school class. InPediatric Work Physiology, Proc 4th Int Symp:279–288
Mocellin R, Bastanier C, Hofacker W, Buhlmeyer K (1976) Exercise performance in children and adolescents after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot.Eur J Cardiology 4:367–374
Reduta LA, Berger HR, Johnstone DE, Hellenbrand W, Wackers FJ, Whittemore R, Cohen LS, Gottschalk A, Zaret BL (1980) Radionuclide assessment of right and left ventricular exercise reserve after total correction of tetralogy of Fallot.Am J Cardiol:1013–1018
Redwood RR, Rosing DR, Epstein SE (1974) Circulatory and symptomatic effects of physical training in patients with coronary artery disease and angina pectoris.N Engl J Med 286:959–965
Shepard RJ (1971) The working capacity of school children. In Shepard RT (ed)Frontiers of Fitness Springfield, Illinois, Charles C Thomas, pp 319–344
Stewart JJ, Gutin BB (1976) Effects of physical training on cardiorespiratory fitness in children.Research Q 47:110–120
Streja D, Mymin D (1979) Moderate exercise and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Observations during a cardiac rehabilitation program.JAMA 242:2190–2192A0946013 00005 CS-SPJRNPDF [HEADSUP]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This project was supported by the Thrasher Research Fund.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruttenberg, H.D., Adams, T.D., Orsmond, G.S. et al. Effects of exercise training on aerobic fitness in children after open heart surgery. Pediatr Cardiol 4, 19–24 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02281001
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02281001