Avitabile CM; McBride MG; Harris MA; Whitehead KK; Fogel MA; Paridon SM; Zemel BS;

Frontiers in pediatrics [Front Pediatr] 2022 Oct 05; Vol. 10, pp. 1025420.
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 05 (Print Publication: 2022).

Background: Skeletal muscle deficits are associated with worse exercise performance in adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH) but the impact is poorly understood in pediatric PH.
Objective: To study muscle deficits, physical inactivity, and performance on cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and exercise cardiac magnetic resonance (eCMR) in pediatric PH.
Methods: Youth 8-18 years participated in a prospective, cross-sectional study including densitometry (DXA) for measurement of leg lean mass Z-score (LLMZ), handheld dynamometer with generation of dominant and non-dominant handgrip Z-scores, Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ), CPET, and optional eCMR. CPET parameters were expressed relative to published reference values. CMR protocol included ventricular volumes and indexed systemic flow at rest and just after supine ergometer exercise. Relationships between LLMZ, PAQ score, and exercise performance were assessed by Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression.
Results: There were 25 participants (13.7 ± 2.8 years, 56% female, 64% PH Group 1, 60% functional class I); 12 (48%) performed both CPET and eCMR. Mean LLMZ (-0.96 ± 1.14) was associated with PAQ score ( r = 50, p = 0.01) and with peak oxygen consumption (VO ₂ ) ( r = 0.74, p = < 0.001), VO ₂ at anaerobic threshold ( r = 0.65, p < 0.001), and peak work rate ( r = 0.64, p < 0.01). Higher handgrip Z-scores were associated with better CPET and eCMR performance. On regression analysis, LLMZ and PAQ score were positively associated with peak VO ₂ , while handgrip Z-score and PAQ score were positively associated with peak work rate.
Conclusion: Muscle mass and strength are positively associated with exercise performance in pediatric PH. Future studies should determine the effect of rehabilitation programs on muscle properties and exercise performance.

Weberruß H; Baumgartner L; Mühlbauer F; Shehu N; Oberhoffer-Fritz R;

Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine [Front Cardiovasc Med] 2022 Oct 06; Vol. 9, pp. 961979.
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 06 (Print Publication: 2022).

Background: In young athletes, exercise causes changes in the heart that include growth in wall thickness and mass of the left ventricle and expansion of the heart’s chambers. The heart’s function is either preserved or enhanced, but this may change to the opposite over time.
Objective: This study aimed to assess structural and functional cardiac adaptations in relation to exercise training time, intensity, and performance in young competitive athletes.
Methods: A total of 404 children and adolescents (14.23 ± 2.0 years, 97 females) were enrolled in the Munich Cardiovascular Adaptations in Young Athletes Study (MuCAYA-Study). Eighty-five participants were examined two times a year. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed to assess left ventricular structure and function. Training time and intensity was measured with the MoMo physical activity questionnaire, maximum aerobic capacity by cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and strength with the handgrip strength test.
Results: Maximum aerobic capacity significantly influenced interventricular septal thickness in diastole. Training intensity significantly influenced left ventricular internal diameter in diastole and systole, and left ventricular mass indexed to body surface area. Within one year, interventricular wall thickness, relative wall thickness and left ventricular mass, indexed to body surface area and height, increased significantly. Training intensity and aerobic capacity contributed to cardiac adaptations in young competitive athletes, as represented by altered structural parameters but preserved cardiac function. Within a year, however, structural changes and a decline in diastolic performance were observed within the longitudinal sub-sample.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the hypothesis that cardiac adaptations to exercise occur at a young age. Cardiac adaptation in our cohort was influenced by exercise intensity and maximum aerobic capacity.

Zimmermann P; Eckstein ML; Moser O; Schöffl I; Zimmermann L; Schöffl V;

International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2022 Oct 13; Vol. 19 (20).
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 13.

Eleven world elite ski-mountaineering (Ski-Mo) athletes were evaluated for pronounced echocardiographic physiological remodeling as the primary aim of our feasibility speckle tracking study. In this context, sports-related cardiac remodeling was analyzed by performing two-dimensional echocardiography, including speckle tracking analysis of the left atrium (LA), right ventricle (RV) and left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) at rest and post-peak performance. The feasibility echocardiographic speckle tracking analysis was performed on eleven elite Ski-Mo athletes, which were obtained in 2022 during the annual medical examination. The obtained data of the professional Ski-Mo athletes (11 athletes, age: 18-26 years) were compared for different echocardiographic parameters at rest and post-exercise. Significant differences were found for LV-GLS mean ( p = 0.0036) and phasic LA conduit strain pattern at rest and post-exercise ( p = 0.0033). Furthermore, negative correlation between LV mass and LV-GLS ( p = 0.0195, r = -0.69) and LV mass Index and LV-GLS ( p = 0.0253, r = -0.66) at rest were elucidated.
This descriptive reporting provided, for the first time, a sport-specific dynamic remodeling of an entire elite national team of the Ski-Mo athlete’s left heart and elucidated differences in the dynamic deformation pattern of the left heart.

Papadakis Z; Etchebaster M; Garcia-Retortillo S;

International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2022 Oct 14; Vol. 19 (20).
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 14.

Collegiate rowing performance is often assessed by a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Rowers’ on-water performance involves non-linear dynamic interactions and synergetic reconfigurations of the cardiorespiratory system. Cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC) method measures the co-variation among cardiorespiratory variables. Novice ( n = 9) vs. Intermediate ( n = 9) rowers’ CRC (H ₀ : Novice CRC = Intermediate CRC; H _A : Novice CRC &lt; Intermediate CRC) was evaluated through principal components analysis (PCA). A female NCAA Division II team ( N = 18) grouped based on their off-water performance on 6000 m time trial. Rowers completed a customized CPET to exhaustion and a variety of cardiorespiratory values were recorded. The number of principal components (PCs) and respective PC eigenvalues per group were computed on SPSS vs28. Intermediate (77%) and Novice (33%) groups showed one PC ₁ . Novice group formed an added PC ₂ due to the shift of expired fraction of oxygen or, alternatively, heart rate/ventilation, from the PC ₁ cluster of examined variables. Intermediate rowers presented a higher degree of CRC, possible due to their increased ability to utilize the bicarbonate buffering system during the CPET. CRC may be an alternative measure to assess aerobic fitness providing insights to the complex cardiorespiratory interactions involved in rowing during a CPET.

Choi HE;  Min EH; Kim HK; Kim HJ; Jang HJ;

Medicine [Medicine (Baltimore)] 2022 Oct 21; Vol. 101 (42), pp. e31244.

The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is the gold standard measure of aerobic exercise capacity and is an important outcome measure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). And respiratory muscle performance is also an important functional parameter for COPD patients. In addition to the traditional respiratory muscle strength test, the Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance has recently been introduced and validated in patients with COPD. However, the relationship between VO2 and respiratory muscle performance in COPD is not well understood. Therefore, this study investigated the correlations among VO2 and respiratory muscle performance and other functional markers in COPD.
A total of 32 patients with COPD were enrolled. All study participants underwent the following assessments: cardiopulmonary exercise test, pulmonary function test, respiratory muscle strength test, peripheral muscle strength test, and bioelectrical impedance analysis.
When comparing VO2peak and respiratory muscle parameters, the sustained maximal inspiratory pressure (SMIP) was the only factor with a significant relationship with VO2peak. Among other functional parameters, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) showed the strongest correlation with VO2peak. It was followed by phase angle values of lower limbs, leg extension peak torque, age, and total skeletal muscle mass. When comparing respiratory muscle performance with other functional parameters, the SMIP showed the strongest correlation with hand grip strength, followed by peak cough flow, forced vital capacity, maximal inspiratory pressure, and FEV1.
The results showed that the SMIP was more significantly correlated with VO2peak than the static measurement of respiratory muscle strength. This suggests that TIRE may be a useful assessment tool for patients with COPD. Additionally, FEV1 and other functional markers were significantly correlated with VO2peak, suggesting that various parameters may be used to evaluate aerobic power indirectly.

West M; Bates A; Grimmett C; Allen C; Green R; Hawkins L; Moyses H; Leggett S; Levett D; Rickard S;
Varkonyi-Sepp J; Williams F; Wootton S; Hayes M; Grocott M; Jack S;

F1000Research [F1000Res] 2021 Sep 21; Vol. 10, pp. 952.
Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Sep 21 (Print Publication: 2021).

Background: Surgical resection remains the primary curative treatment for intra-cavity cancer. Low physical fitness and psychological factors such as depression are predictive of post-operative morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay. Prolonged post-operative morbidity is associated with persistently elevated risk of premature death. We aim to investigate whether a structured, responsive exercise training programme, a psychological support programme or combined exercise and psychological support, delivered between treatment decision and major intra-cavity surgery for cancer, can reduce length of hospital stay, compared with standard care.
Methods: WesFit is a pragmatic , 2×2 factorial-design, multi-centre, randomised-controlled trial, with planned recruitment of N=1560. Participants will be randomised to one of four groups. Group 1 (control) will receive usual pre-operative care, Group 2 (exercise) patients will undergo 2/3 aerobic, high-intensity interval training sessions per week supervised by personal trainers. Group 3 (psychological support) patients are offered 1 session per week at a local cancer support centre. Group 4 will receive both exercise and psychological support. All patients undergo baseline and pre-operative cardiopulmonary exercise testing, complete self-report questionnaires and will be followed up at 30 days, 12 weeks and 12 months post-operatively. Primary outcome is post-operative length-of-stay. Secondary outcomes include disability-adjusted survival at 1-year postoperatively, post-operative morbidity, and health-related quality of life. Exploratory investigations include objectively measured changes in physical fitness assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise test, disease-free and overall mortality at 1-year postoperatively, longer-term physical activity behaviour change, pre-operative radiological tumour regression, pathological tumour regression, pre and post-operative body composition analysis, health economics analysis and nutritional characterisation and its relationship to post-operative outcome.
Conclusions: The WesFit trial will be the first randomised controlled study investigating whether an exercise training programme +/- psychological intervention results in improvements in clinical and patient reported outcomes in patients undergoing major inter-cavity resection of cancer.

Le JN; Zhou R; Tao R; Dharmavaram N; Dhingra R; Runo J; Forfia P; Raza F;

Journal of cardiac failure [J Card Fail] 2022 Oct 12.
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 12.

Background: While cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can identify mechanisms of exercise intolerance in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), exercise modalities with different body positions (e.g. recumbent ergometer, treadmill) are broadly utilized. In this study, we aim to determine if body position affects CPET parameters in patients with HFpEF.
Methods: Subjects with stable HFpEF (n=23) underwent non-invasive treadmill CPET, followed by an invasive recumbent cycle ergometer CPET within three months. A comparison group, undergoing similar studies, included: healthy subjects (n=5) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (n=6).
Results: The peak oxygen consumption (VO ₂ peak) and peak heart rate were significantly lower in recumbent versus upright position (10.1 vs 13.1 ml/kg/min [Δ – 3 ml/kg/min], p < 0.001; and 95 vs 113 bpm [Δ – 18 bpm], p < 0.001, respectively). No significant differences were found with V _E /VCO ₂ , ETCO ₂ , and RER. A similar pattern was observed in the comparison groups.
Conclusions: Compared to recumbent ergometer, treadmill CPET revealed higher VO ₂ peak and peak heart rate response. While determining chronotropic incompetence to adjust beta blockers in HFpEF, body position should be taken into account.

Hao X; He H; Tao L; Wang H; Zhao L; Ren Y; Wang P;

Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy [Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes] 2022 Oct 19; Vol. 15, pp. 3195-3203.
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 19 (Print Publication: 2022).

Purpose: This study investigated blood pressure and ventilation efficiency by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) in different types of obesity aged 40-60 years.
Material and Methods: The inclusion criteria of this cross-sectional study were adults aged 40-60 years underwent health checks. CPX was measured according to the relevant standards. According to different body mass index (BMI), there were 3 groups, BMI<24 (kg/m ² ), 24≤BMI<28 (kg/m ² ) and BMI≥28 (kg/m ² ). There were two groups in male, waist circumference≥90 (cm) and waist circumference<90 (cm). Similarly, there were two groups in female, waist circumference≥85 (cm) and waist circumference<85 (cm).
Results: There were 543 individuals (64.6% male and 35.4% female) aged 40-60 years in this study. The resting blood pressure (BP) and peak BP have the significant differences in different BMI groups (p < 0.001) and male or female groups (p < 0.001). However, the resting DBP (77.70±9.45 vs 81.16±8.80, p < 0.001) and peak DBP (85.67±10.21 vs 89.03±9.94, p = 0.002) have the significant differences in different male waist circumference groups, and the resting BP (SBP 113.76±14.29 vs 121.86±15.54, p = 0.001, DBP 71.95±10.83 vs 77.27±11.42, p = 0.005) has the significant differences in different female waist circumference groups. Carbon dioxide Ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO ₂ ) has the significant differences in different male waist circumference groups (26.84±3.10 vs 27.68±2.93, p = 0.009), but it has not the significant differences in different BMI groups and different female waist circumference groups. The oxygen pulse (VO ₂ /HR) is slightly higher in female group than male group (0.93±0.15 vs 0.89±0.15, p = 0.001). Breathing reserve has the statistical significance in BMI ≥28 group compared with the BMI <24 group (0.52±0.13 vs 0.46±0.17, ηp ² =0.021).
Conclusion: We found that the blood pressure and ventilation efficiency of CPX were different between the obesity and normal. This will provide a basis for accurate cardiopulmonary assessment of obesity.

F. Schwendinger, R. Knaier, T. Radtke and A. Schmidt-Trucksass

Sports Med 2022 ;17 September
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36115933/

Patients recovering from COVID-19 often report symptoms of exhaustion, fatigue and dyspnoea and present with exercise intolerance persisting for months post-infection. Numerous studies investigated these sequelae and their possible underlying mechanisms using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. We aimed to provide an in-depth discussion as well as an overview of the contribution of selected organ systems to exercise intolerance based on the Wasserman gears. The gears represent the pulmonary system, cardiovascular system, and periphery/musculature and mitochondria. Thirty-two studies that examined adult patients post-COVID-19 via cardiopulmonary exercise testing were included. In 22 of 26 studies reporting cardiorespiratory fitness (herein defined as peak oxygen uptake-VO2peak), VO2peak was < 90% of predicted value in patients. VO2peak was notably below normal even in the long-term. Given the available evidence, the contribution of respiratory function to low VO2peak seems to be only minor except for lung diffusion capacity. The prevalence of low lung diffusion capacity was high in the included studies. The cardiovascular system might contribute to low VO2peak via subnormal cardiac output due to chronotropic incompetence and reduced stroke volume, especially in the first months post-infection. Chronotropic incompetence was similarly present in the moderate- and long-term follow-up. However, contrary findings exist. Peripheral factors such as muscle mass, strength and perfusion, mitochondrial function, or arteriovenous oxygen difference may also contribute to low VO2peak. More data are required, however. The findings of this review do not support deconditioning as the primary mechanism of low VO2peak post-COVID-19. Post-COVID-19 sequelae are multifaceted and require individual diagnosis and treatment

Tomovic M; Toliopoulos A; Koutlianos N; Dalkiranis A; Bubanj S; Deligiannis A; Kouidi E;

International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2022 Sep 27; Vol. 19 (19).
Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Sep 27.

Background: Running is a common recreational activity, and the number of long-distance-race participants is continuously growing. It is well-established that regular physical activity can prevent and manage non-communicable diseases and benefit public health. Training for a long-distance race requires development of specific aerobic abilities and should generate the desired race performance. The purpose of this study was to support the training design and motivation of recreational endurance runners, by investigating whether a 14.5 km race performance of long-distance runners correlates with their cardiopulmonary indices measured in the laboratory.
Methods: To examine the relationships of a 14.5 km running performance with the cardiopulmonary parameters of amateur runners, a cross-sectional study design was applied. Fifteen (eleven men and four women) recreational long-distance runners (aged 41.3 ± 9.2 years) from Northern Greece were included in the study and were evaluated in the laboratory within one week before an endurance running race-the 14.5 km Philip Road race, in Greece. The laboratory-based examinations of the athletes consisted of a comprehensive medical pre-participation screening and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
Results: The results showed that the 14.5 km race performance time (73.8 ± 9.7 min) significantly correlated with the cardiopulmonary-exercise-testing speed-related indices at specific submaximal and maximal workloads ( p &lt; 0.01, p &lt; 0.05), while the cardiopulmonary indices of oxygen uptake did not reliably predict race running time ( p &gt; 0.05).
Conclusions: There is a better correlation of the 14.5 km running performance of recreational long-distance runners with the cardiopulmonary-exercise-testing speed-related indices at specific workloads than with the indices of oxygen uptake, running economy or respiratory economy. When preparing a training strategy, amateur long-distance runners should mostly rely on specific running-speed-related laboratory data rather than on oxygen-uptake values.