Impact of two different periodized aerobic training on acute cerebrovascular response and cognitive performance in coronary heart disease patients

The aim of this study was to measure the effects of chronic and acute aerobic exercise at two different intensities on cognitive performance and cerebrovascular response in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Thirty-five CHD patients completed two exercise bouts at 30% and 70% of their respective peak aerobic power on an ergocycle while performing cognitive tasks, which included nonexecutive and executive conditions before and after a 3-month training intervention. Variations of oxy- deoxy- and total hemoglobin concentrations were measured on the left prefrontal cortex at both intensities using near-infrared spectroscopy. Aerobic exercise training consisted of linear and nonlinear periodization protocols for three sessions of 30-50 min per week for 12 weeks. Error rate (p < 0.001) and reaction time (p < 0.001) improved after the training program for the executive condition of the cognitive task, regardless of intensity and training groups. Cerebral oxygenation remained similar pre and post intervention for all conditions and acute exercise intensity. Despite the absence of conjunction between cerebral oxygenation and cognition, results suggest that both exercise training programs could improve cognition in CHD patients during acute exercise.