{
  "abstract": "Background The National Audit for Cardiac Rehabilitation (NACR) uses 150 mins/week of moderate physical activity (MPA) participation as a key criteria. BACPR and ACPICR focus more on recommending 20–30 mins 3x/week (~60 to 90 mins/week).Aims This review aimed to systematically assess the 85 trials in the Cochrane Review (CochRev2021) on cardiac rehabilitation (Dibben et al., 2021) for their prescribed durations.Methods From the 85 CochRev2021 trials, we extracted the range of weekly prescribed durations for MPA (e.g. session duration x weekly frequency). Median (+/-interquartile range; IQR) durations were compared to NACR benchmark (150 mins/week) and correlated with baseline-to-follow-up changes in cardiorespiratory fitness at <6 months.Results Thirty-two (38%) trials reported determinable weekly durations. Median (IQR) lower and upper durations were 90 (+/-30) and 150 (+/-94) mins/week, respectively. 18/85 (21%) studies used a recognised aerobic fitness assessment of which 9 used maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET). Across all tests, aerobic endurance improved by 25% (+/-17). The 9 CPET studies showed a 17% (+/-11) improvement in mean aerobic power ( VO2peak: 3.5 ml/kg/min; 1 MET). No significant correlation was found between aerobic fitness improvement and weekly durations. From 9-CPET studies, the best correlation between weekly duration and improved aerobic fitness (r = 0.61; NS) was in the lower bounds (IQR: 60 to 120 mins/week). For durations >150 mins/week the correlation was very weak and negative (r = -0.36; NS)Conclusion This analysis of the CochRev2021 showed that 150 mins/week of MPA could be an ‘over prescription’ where a duration of at least 60 mins MPA/week achieves similar gains in fitness. There remains the question of fidelity of exercise prescriptions in >60% of CochRev2021. In spite of this, patients in the intervention groups improved fitness by >15% (~1 MET), which is physiologically significant (Strasser & Burtscher, 2018, DOI:10.2741/4657).",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy, Keele University, STAFFS, UK ST5 5BG"
      ],
      "name": "John P Buckley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy, Keele University, STAFFS, UK ST5 5BG"
      ],
      "name": "Bindi Davdra"
    }
  ],
  "title": "O1 Is 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity a potential ‘over prescription’ for cardiac rehabilitation? A systematic analysis of trials in the cochrane review",
  "uid": "f78f9b18-7f4c-56e3-9bf5-db44b647b00f"
}