Fitness After Stroke Trial (FAST): Protocol for a Preliminary Efficacy Study of Recumbent Stepper High-Intensity Interval Training.

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q4 PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE

Artery Research Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-01 DOI:10.1007/s44200-026-00104-3

Bria L Bartsch, Amanda J Britton-Carpenter, Amanda Engler, Tyler Baldridge, Alexandra Moores, Emily M Hazen, Robert N Montgomery, Sandra A Billinger

{"title":"Fitness After Stroke Trial (FAST): Protocol for a Preliminary Efficacy Study of Recumbent Stepper High-Intensity Interval Training.","authors":"Bria L Bartsch, Amanda J Britton-Carpenter, Amanda Engler, Tyler Baldridge, Alexandra Moores, Emily M Hazen, Robert N Montgomery, Sandra A Billinger","doi":"10.1007/s44200-026-00104-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness and vascular health are significantly impaired post-stroke. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising strategy to improve walking in people with chronic stroke, but broadly integrating HIIT into stroke recovery remains limited. One key barrier is the reliance on maximal exercise testing to prescribe HIIT, which is often not feasible in clinical settings. To address this gap, the Fitness After Stroke Trial (FAST) evaluates the preliminary efficacy of HIIT compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), using a validated submaximal exercise testing protocol to guide individualized exercise prescription in people post-stroke.Methods: FAST will enroll 50 individuals with chronic stroke into a double-blind, two-arm, parallel-group preliminary efficacy trial. Participants will be stratified by lower extremity motor function and randomized to HIIT or MICT. Exercise sessions will occur three times per week for four weeks using a total body recumbent stepper. The primary outcome is estimated peak oxygen consumption from the Total Body Recumbent Stepper (TBRS) submaximal exercise test. Secondary outcomes include middle cerebral artery velocity at rest and during exercise, flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity. Tertiary outcomes include walking speed and distance.Discussion: FAST represents one of the earliest double-blind randomized trials to directly compare HIIT and MICT on a recumbent stepper in people post-stroke, using a validated submaximal exercise testing protocol to individualize exercise intensity. This study will generate preliminary effect sizes for key physiological and functional outcomes obtained with this modality, providing the critical data needed to optimize dosing strategies and power a future definitive trial.Trial registration: NCT05936008. Registered 7 July 2023, Study Details|Fitness After Stroke Trial|ClinicalTrials.gov.","PeriodicalId":8466,"journal":{"name":"Artery Research","volume":"32 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13226414/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Artery Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44200-026-00104-3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/6/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness and vascular health are significantly impaired post-stroke. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising strategy to improve walking in people with chronic stroke, but broadly integrating HIIT into stroke recovery remains limited. One key barrier is the reliance on maximal exercise testing to prescribe HIIT, which is often not feasible in clinical settings. To address this gap, the Fitness After Stroke Trial (FAST) evaluates the preliminary efficacy of HIIT compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), using a validated submaximal exercise testing protocol to guide individualized exercise prescription in people post-stroke.

Methods: FAST will enroll 50 individuals with chronic stroke into a double-blind, two-arm, parallel-group preliminary efficacy trial. Participants will be stratified by lower extremity motor function and randomized to HIIT or MICT. Exercise sessions will occur three times per week for four weeks using a total body recumbent stepper. The primary outcome is estimated peak oxygen consumption from the Total Body Recumbent Stepper (TBRS) submaximal exercise test. Secondary outcomes include middle cerebral artery velocity at rest and during exercise, flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity. Tertiary outcomes include walking speed and distance.

Discussion: FAST represents one of the earliest double-blind randomized trials to directly compare HIIT and MICT on a recumbent stepper in people post-stroke, using a validated submaximal exercise testing protocol to individualize exercise intensity. This study will generate preliminary effect sizes for key physiological and functional outcomes obtained with this modality, providing the critical data needed to optimize dosing strategies and power a future definitive trial.

Trial registration: NCT05936008. Registered 7 July 2023, Study Details|Fitness After Stroke Trial|ClinicalTrials.gov.

查看原文本刊更多论文

卒中后体能试验（FAST）：卧式步进器高强度间歇训练的初步疗效研究方案。

背景：卒中后心血管健康明显受损。高强度间歇训练（HIIT）已成为改善慢性中风患者步行的一种有希望的策略，但将HIIT广泛整合到中风恢复中仍然有限。一个关键的障碍是依赖最大运动测试来规定HIIT，这在临床环境中通常是不可行的。为了解决这一差距，卒中后健身试验（FAST）评估了HIIT与中强度连续训练（MICT）相比的初步效果，使用经过验证的次最大运动测试方案来指导卒中后人群的个性化运动处方。方法：FAST将招募50名慢性卒中患者进行双盲、双臂、平行组的初步疗效试验。参与者将根据下肢运动功能分层，并随机分为HIIT或MICT。每周进行三次锻炼，持续四周，使用全身平躺式踏步机。主要结果是通过全身平躺步行者（TBRS）亚极限运动测试估计的峰值耗氧量。次要结局包括休息和运动时大脑中动脉流速、血流介导的扩张和脉搏波速度。第三指标包括步行速度和距离。讨论：FAST是最早的双盲随机试验之一，直接比较脑卒中后患者在卧位踏步上的HIIT和MICT，使用经过验证的次最大运动测试方案来个性化运动强度。该研究将对该模式获得的关键生理和功能结果产生初步效应大小，为优化给药策略和为未来的明确试验提供所需的关键数据。试验注册：NCT05936008。注册于2023年7月7日，研究细节|卒中后健身试验|ClinicalTrials.gov。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Artery Research Medicine-Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

CiteScore

1.70

自引率

16.70%

发文量

审稿时长

13 weeks

期刊介绍： Artery Research is the official journal of the Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology (ARTERY) which promotes the advancement of knowledge and dissemination of information concerning the pathophysiology, epidemiology, detection, investigation and treatment of arterial structure and function. The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, perspectives, case-studies, letters to the Editor, short communications and images. All submitted material is subject to a strict peer-review process.