Feasibility of single session high-intensity interval training utilizing speed and active recovery to push beyond standard practice post-stroke.
Stacey E Aaron, Chris M Gregory
PMID 30222072WHAT IT FOUND
In a single session, 21 chronic stroke survivors safely walked 142% faster on a treadmill than their overground speed.
This proves high-intensity interval training is feasible acutely, but does not show it improves walking.
Key findings
01All participants completed the session without stopping early, falls, or unsafe heart rate or blood pressure changes.
02Participants walked significantly faster on the treadmill than their own overground self-selected speed.
03Fifteen of the twenty-one participants met the target high-intensity speed of 150% of their overground walking speed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only one session was performed, so it is unknown if patients can tolerate repeated sessions or if delayed soreness occurs. Safety was only monitored for 15 minutes after training, missing potential longer-term adverse effects. The study had no control group and did not measure whether walking speed improved after the session. Participants were highly selected, excluding those with significant cardiac or orthopedic issues. Two of the 23 recruited participants could not complete the task, indicating the protocol is not feasible for everyone with chronic stroke.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina Stroke Recovery Research Center.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this training improves walking speed or function. The study only tested if people could safely perform one session; it did not measure any rehabilitation outcomes.