Home-based, short-duration, high-intensity interval inspiratory muscle training improves exercise capacity of patients with chronic heart failure: a double-blind study.

Aims: To explore effects of home-based, short-duration, high-intensity interval inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on exercise capacity, inspiratory muscle function, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods and results: Thirty-six adult patients with diagnosed CHF with NYHA II-III were randomly assigned to the high-intensity interval inspiratory muscle training group (H-IMT; n = 17) and sham inspiratory muscle training group (S-IMT; n = 19). All participants received home-based training 1 session/day, 6 days/week for 12 weeks. Every session consisted of 30 breaths (5 consecutive breaths/set, 6 sets, 1-minute rest between sets). The total training duration, including inter-set rest time, was less than 10 minutes per session. The training intensity of the H-IMT group and the S-IMT group was 60% and 0% of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax), respectively. Primary outcomes were peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and six-minute walking distance (6MWD). Secondary outcomes were PImax and quality of life (QoL) assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Measures were taken at baseline and at 3 months. After 12 weeks of intervention, the H-IMT group had greater VO2peak (14.3 ± 0.9 mL/kg/min vs. 12.6 ± 0.7 mL/kg/min, P=0.02), 6MWD (487.9 ± 24.0 m vs. 437.7 ± 28.2 m, P=0.04), PImax (82.7 ± 6.6 cmH2O vs. 60.6 ± 5.5 cmH2O, P <0.005), and MLHFQ (9.9 ± 2.0 vs. 21.5 ± 5.5, P <0.005) than that in the S-IMT group.

Conclusion: The home-based, time-efficient, high-intensity interval IMT enhanced exercise capacity, inspiratory muscle strength, and QoL of individuals with CHF.

Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20200504004).