{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]],"date-time":"2026-01-18T06:50:52Z","timestamp":1768719052980,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]],"date-time":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617062400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SFRH\/BD\/138326\/2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/138326\/2018"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Exercise-induced improvements in the VO2peak of cardiac rehabilitation participants are well documented. However, optimal exercise intensity remains doubtful. This study aimed to identify the optimal exercise intensity and program length to improve VO2peak in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) following cardiac rehabilitation. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included a control group and at least one exercise group. RCTs assessed cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) changes resulting from exercise interventions and reported exercise intensity, risk ratio, and confidence intervals (CIs). The primary outcome was CRF (VO2peak or VO2 at anaerobic threshold). Two hundred and twenty-one studies were found from the initial search (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus). Following inclusion criteria, 16 RCTs were considered. Meta-regression analyses revealed that VO2peak significantly increased in all intensity categories. Moderate-intensity interventions were associated with a moderate increase in relative VO2peak (SMD = 0.71 mL-kg\u22121-min\u22121; 95% CI = [0.27\u20131.15]; p = 0.001) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 45%). Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity and vigorous-intensity interventions were associated with a large increase in relative VO2peak (SMD = 1.84 mL-kg\u22121-min\u22121; 95% CI = [1.18\u20132.50], p &lt; 0.001 and SMD = 1.80 mL-kg\u22121-min\u22121; 95% CI = [0.82\u20132.78] p = 0.001, respectively), and were also highly heterogeneous with I2 values of 91% and 95% (p &lt; 0.001), respectively. Moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous-intensity interventions, conducted for 6\u201312 weeks, were more effective at improving CVD patients\u2019 CRF.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18073574","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]],"date-time":"2021-03-30T09:57:04Z","timestamp":1617098224000},"page":"3574","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":32,"title":["Exercise Intensity in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4909-1412","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catarina","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Desporto e Sa\u00fade, Escola de Sa\u00fade e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9753-8381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Armando","family":"Raimundo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Desporto e Sa\u00fade, Escola de Sa\u00fade e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Abreu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servico de Cardiologia, Hospital Universit\u00e1rio de Santa Maria\/Centro Hospitalar Universit\u00e1rio Lisboa Norte (CHULN), Centro Acad\u00e9mico de Medicina de Lisboa (CAML), Centro Cardiovascular da Universidade de Lisboa (CCUL), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9009-5693","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge","family":"Bravo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Desporto e Sa\u00fade, Escola de Sa\u00fade e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de \u00c9vora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2011). 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