Four weeks of supervised home-based aerobic cycling improves cardiopulmonary function in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Objective To investigate the effects of a short-term, supervised home-based aerobic cycling intervention on cardiopulmonary function in patients with mild-to-moderate PD. Design A single-center, pre-post intervention study was conducted. Seventeen PD patients (Hoehn-Yahr stage 1–3) underwent a 4-week supervised home-based cycling program, exercising at 70–80% of heart rate reserve for 40 min per session, three times per week. Remote supervision was facilitated via a mobile application. The primary outcome was maximal power output (W). Secondary outcomes included anaerobic threshold (AT), peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), heart rate parameters, and pulmonary function tests. Assessments were performed at baseline and after the intervention in the ON medication state. Results After the 4-week intervention, key cardiopulmonary parameters showed significant increases in Maximal power output ( p < 0.001) and peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak) ( p = 0.006). Anaerobic threshold power and related heart rate measures also showed significant enhancement ( p < 0.05). Pulmonary function parameter revealed a slight improvement in peak expiatory flow ( p < 0.05). Conclusion A 4-week supervised home-based aerobic cycling program is a feasible and effective intervention, leading to significant improvements in aerobic capacity, metabolic efficiency, and cardiovascular response in patients with mild-to-moderate PD.