Short Bursts of Intense Exercise May Benefit Stroke Survivors
Study Finds HIIT Training May Improve Physical Function
By Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News
Short bursts of high-intensity exercise, known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), may improve physical function in stroke survivors, a new study suggests.
For the study, researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, randomly assigned 82 stroke survivors to follow one of two exercise regimens: a HIIT protocol or a traditional continuous moderate-intensity exercise protocol.
The HIIT protocol involved 10 rounds of 1-minute intervals of high intensity exercise, defined as 80% of maximum heart rate, followed by 1 minute of rest. The continuous moderate-intensity exercise protocol consisted of 30 minutes of exercise at 60% of maximum heart rate.
After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the stroke survivors who performed HIIT had significantly greater improvements in physical function, including walking speed, balance, and endurance, compared with those who performed continuous moderate-intensity exercise.
The study findings suggest that HIIT may be a safe and effective way to improve physical function in stroke survivors. However, the researchers caution that more research is needed to confirm the long-term benefits of HIIT and to determine the optimal dose of HIIT for stroke survivors.
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