Scientists from the University of Otago have proven that doing a short program of high-intensity interval training before surgery can significantly aid recovery after surgery. Research published in the journal Operation.
The authors analyzed data from 12 studies involving 832 patients. They underwent a pre-operative high-intensity interval training (HIIT) course in which the intervals between aerobic (increasing heart rate) exercise and active recovery (light movements) alternated.
While exercising, the participants’ heart rate was approximately 80% of their maximum heart rate for their age. It is calculated using the formula “220 minus age”. The average age of the participants was 66 and the training course was approximately four weeks.
“The overall results of our study showed that HIIT reduced the risk of complications by 56%; and, on average, they stayed in the hospital three days less,” the scientists said.
The most important result was a change in cardiorespiratory endurance (CRF), a measure of how well the body absorbs oxygen and delivers it to muscles and organs during exercise.
The study included all major surgeries lasting more than two hours or with a blood loss of more than 500 ml, as well as mixed major surgeries for the liver, lungs, colon, urological, and abdominal cavity.
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