A Study to Compare the Effectiveness of Different High-intensity Interval Training Programs in Cardiac Rehabilitation

January 12, 2026 updated by: Amanda R. Bonikowske, Mayo Clinic

Efficacy of Prescription Methods for High-intensity Interval Training in Patients Enrolled in Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of two different high intensity interval training (HIIT) prescription approaches on improving fitness, heart function, and the ability of the body's muscles to receive oxygen.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult 18 years and older.
  • English speaking.
  • Able to provide consent.
  • Has a qualifying indication for center-based cardiac rehabilitation that is non-surgical (i.e., Acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and stable angina).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants referred to cardiac rehabilitation following coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve repair/replacement, heart transplant, or those with ventricular assist devices.
  • Patients who are unable to engage in a regularly structured exercise training program as part of a clinically indicated center-based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program are not eligible.
  • Patients unable/unwilling to provide informed consent will not be enrolled.
  • Patients identified as having a contraindication to high intensity exercise.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Standard-care interval-training group
Subjects will complete a standard interval-training program that remains constant for the entire 12 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation.
Other: Constant High Intensity Interval Training (CON-HIIT)
Individual exercise training sessions, involving two weeks of moderate intensity continuous exercise and 10 weeks of interval exercise training. This protocol involves a constant protocol of training, including six high-intensity intervals (at an RPE of 15-18) of 1-min separated by five low-intensity intervals of 2-min.
Experimental: Progressive interval-training group
Subjects will complete an interval-training program during which the number of intervals and the duration of each interval are changed across the 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program.
Other: Progressive High Intensity Interval Training (PRO-HIIT)
Individual exercise training sessions, involving two weeks of moderate intensity continuous exercise and 10 weeks of interval exercise training. This protocol involves progression of training of 3 stages: 1) six high-intensity intervals (at an RPE of 15-18) of 1-min separated by five low-intensity intervals of 2-min; 2) three high-intensity intervals of 2-min separated by two low-intensity intervals of 4-min, and a further 2-min of low intensity following the last interval before cool-down; and 3) three high-intensity intervals of 3-min separated by two low-intensity intervals of 3-min, and a further 1-min of low intensity following last interval before cool-down.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in cardiorepiratory fitness
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, approximately 12 weeks
Measure as peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak)
Pre and post study completion, approximately 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in oxygen uptake response time
Time Frame: Weekly, over 12 weeks
Measured as exponential time-constant of pulmonary oxygen uptake at exercise onset
Weekly, over 12 weeks
Change in locomotor muscle oxygenation
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as tissue oxygen saturation by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in metaboreflex stimulation
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as changes in blood pressure during recovery from exercise
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Changes in mechanoreflex stimulation and sensitization
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as changes in blood pressure during recovery from exercise
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in cardiac function
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as global longitudinal strain by echocardiography at rest and during sub-maximal exercise
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in body composition
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as fat mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in blood pressure
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as resting and mean 24-hr blood pressures by ambulatory blood pressure monitor
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in blood lipids
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as total-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Change in physical activity
Time Frame: Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks
Measured as minutes spent in moderate-vigorous physical activity, by accelerometer monitor
Pre and post study completion, 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Mayo Clinic

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Amanda R Bonikowske, PhD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 23, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 3, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 14, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 18, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 20-005923

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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