Effect of Resistance Training on Physical Disability in Chronic Heart Failure

Purpose—Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) report difficulty performing activities of daily living. To our knowledge, however, no study has directly measured performance in activities of daily living in these patients to systematically assess their level of physical disability. Moreover, the contribution of skeletal muscle weakness to physical disability in CHF remains unclear. Thus, we measured performance in activities of daily living in CHF patients and controls, its relationship to aerobic capacity and muscle strength and the effect of resistance exercise training to improve muscle strength and physical disability. Methods—Patients and controls were assessed for performance in activities of daily living, self-reported physical function, peak aerobic capacity, body composition and muscle strength before and after an 18-wk resistance training program. To remove the confounding effects of several disease-related factors (muscle disuse, hospitalization, acute illness), we recruited controls with similar activity levels as CHF patients and tested patients>6 months following any disease exacerbation/hospitalization. Results—Performance in activities of daily living was 30 % lower (P<0.05) in CHF patients