One Rep Max in Cardiac Rehabilitation?

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Is it advisable to administer 1RM tests in the cardiac rehabilitation

setting? The following study addresses this issue:

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J Cardiopulm Rehabil 1999 Jan-Feb;19(1):52-8

Injuries and muscle soreness during the one repetition maximum assessment in

a cardiac rehabilitation population.

Barnard KL, KJ, Swank AM, Mann E, Denny DM

River Cities Cardiology Cardiac Rehabilitation Center,

Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA.

BACKGROUND: Strength training (ST) may be beneficial for preservation of lean

tissue, increasing bone mineral content, decreasing falls, and enhancing

quality of life. Strength training is becoming an appropriate mode of

exercise for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients. One method for determining

optimal exercise intensity for safe and effective ST requires one repetition

maximum (1RM) testing. Clinicians may be reluctant to perform 1RM testing in

CR patients because of potential muscle soreness/injury and adverse

hemodynamic responses in deconditioned patients. The purpose of this

investigation was to perform 1RM testing in CR patients and determine muscle

soreness/injury rate. METHODS: Seventy-four CR patients stratified by risk

(low n = 30, intermediate n = 21, high n = 23) and sex (males = 55, females =

19) participated. Subject's ages ranged from 39 to 76 years and time from

procedure ranged from 19 days to 2 years. No patient had ever undergone 1RM

testing. The method of Kraemer and Fry was used to assess 1RM. High-risk

patients' heart rates/rhythms and blood pressures were monitored. Patients

were evaluated for occurrence of muscle soreness/injury immediately after 1RM

testing and on days 2 and 7 using a soreness scale developed by Shaw et al.

Muscle soreness/injury was considered significant if a patient reported

altering or stopping physical activities.

RESULTS: No injury or significant muscle soreness occurred as a result of 1RM

testing. No abnormal heart rate/rhythm or blood pressure responses occurred

in high-risk patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that with proper technique, 1RM testing may be

performed in CR patients without injury or significant muscle soreness.

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Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/