Comparison of four exercise protocols using anaerobic threshold measurement of functional capacity in congestive heart failure

In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), indexes of resting ventricular function are poor predictors of exercise performance.¹ Measurement of maximum oxygen uptake during exercise using respiratory gas exchange is currently being performed to assess the functional capacity of patients with CHF. Furthermore, maximum oxygen uptake may have prognostic importance.² However, maximum oxygen uptake may be a difficult endpoint for CHF patients to achieve, and thus may not be readily attainable or reproducible. The oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold, a parameter of submaximal exercise, may be more attainable and may also provide insight into functional impairment in this patient population.³.