Combined Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Strength Training Among Post CABG Patients

July 17, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Combined Effects of Aerobic Exercise and Strength Training on Functional Capacity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Quality of Life With Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase II Among Post CABG Patients

Title of study Combined effects aerobic exercise and strength training on functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation phase II among post CABG patients Objective (s) of the study To investigate the combined effects of aerobic exercise and strength training on functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation phase II among post CABG patients.

Methodology (Design, sample size, sampling technique, Study setting, inclusion and exclusion criteria and Tool) Design: Randomized Controlled Trial Sample Size: 42 patients Sampling Technique: Convenient sampling technique will be used for selection of patient after that simple random sampling technique will be used for randomization among groups Study Setting: Hospital Setting SF-12, 6-min walk test, VO2 max, step test This study will not harm any fundamental rights of the patients and will consider and respect the preferences of patients.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common surgical procedure for coronary artery disease (CAD). Post-CABG patients often experience decreased functional capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life due to prolonged bed rest, surgical trauma, and underlying cardiovascular disease. Cardiac Rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery is necessary to prevent complications, improve functioning, and alleviate symptoms. Aerobic exercises and strength training are used in CR, but their combined effects on post-CABG patients are not well understood. The objective of this study will be to investigate the combined effects of aerobic exercise and strength training on functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life with cardiac rehabilitation phase II among post CABG patients.

Study design will be randomized controlled trial. 42 patients will be included in study. Data will be collected from Imran Idrees hospital, Sialkot. Convenient sampling technique will be used for selection of patient after that simple random sampling technique for randomization among groups. Study will be conducted within 10 months after approval of synopsis. The SF-12 questionnaire will be used for quality of life, 6-minute walk test for functional capacity, step test and VO2max for cardiorespiratory fitness. Both genders aged between 30 to 60 years with stable cardiovascular condition and no other comorbidities will be included in this study. Participants with any musculoskeletal or neurological impairment and symptoms of significant myocardial ischemia, including chest pain and any history of fracture or surgery will be excluded from this study. Patients will be divided in to two groups. Group A will be assigned aerobic exercise and Group B will be assigned aerobic exercise and strength training. Pre and post values for functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life will be recorded. Data will be analyzed by using SPSS version 24. After testing the Normality of data by applying Shapiro-wilk test, paired sample t-test/ independent t-test / Anova test to find which technique will be more beneficial for post CABG patients.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

42

Phase

  • 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 Backup

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Sialkot, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 40100
        • Recruiting
        • Imran Idrees teaching hospital sialkot
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nida Khalid, MS PT

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Both genders (male, female)

    • Patient who underwent a successful CABG (no complications during surgery and/or in the following weeks)
    • Patients willing to participate in the phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.
    • Age between 30 to 60 years
    • Patients having no impairment in the musculoskeletal system

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with unstable congestive heart failure and symptoms of significant myocardial ischemia, including chest pain

    • Patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or hypertension.
    • Patients with any motor or neurological impairment
    • Patients with severe disturbance of consciousness, having an orthopedic problem and critical limb ischemia

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise refers to the type of repetitive, structured physical activity that requires the body's metabolic system to use oxygen to produce energy. Aerobic exercise improves the capacity of the cardiovascular system to uptake and transport oxygen. Aerobic exercise training intensity is the most important variable in improving CRF during CR for most patients. Upper limb cycle ergometry is a form of aerobic exercise that can be tailored to individual needs. In the described protocol, patients perform 5 minutes of active exercise followed by 2 minutes of recovery, maintaining 20-30 rotations per minute. Moderate-intensity continuous aerobic training (MCT) is defined as 60% to 85% of peak heart rate and/or RPE of 12 to 14 on the 6 to 20 scale.
Behavioral: aerobic exercise

Aerobic Exercise Plan:

  1. Warm-up (5 minutes): - Light arm movements (e.g., arm circles, shoulder rolls) - Dynamic stretching (e.g., arm swings)
  2. Aerobic Exercise (20-30 minutes): - Arm cycle ergometer - Intensity: Moderate (40-60% of maximum heart rate reserve) - Frequency: 2-3 times per week
  3. Cool-down (5-10 minutes): - Static stretching (e.g., bicep, triceps, chest muscles)
Active Comparator: Aerobic Exercise and strength training
supervised exercise sessions 3 times per week for 6 months. Thus, in addition to the aerobic exercise training (as above), upper extremity resistance exercise was initially prescribed at 30% of 1RM, increasing to a maximum of 70% of 1RM by 4 weeks. Seventy percent of 1RM is in the comfortably hard range (5-7 on the Borg 1-10 scale, which is comparable to 13-15 on the 6-20 Borg scale). Each exercise repetition involved a slow controlled movement with approximately 2 sec of concentric lifting and 4 sec of eccentric lowering. Proper breathing techniques were enforced (with expiration during concentric lifting and inspiration during eccentric lowering).
Behavioral: Aerobic Exercise and strength training
  1. Warm-up (5-10 minutes): - Light cardio (e.g., walking, jogging in place) - Dynamic stretching (e.g., arm circles, leg swings)
  2. Aerobic Exercise (10-20 minutes): - Arm cycle ergometer - Intensity: Moderate (40-60% of maximum heart rate reserve) - Frequency: 2-3 times per week
  3. Resistance Training (10-15 minutes): - Upper extremity exercises using resistance bands or light dumbbells - 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise - Intensity: 30-70% of 1RM - Frequency: 2-3 times per week

Cool-down (5-10 minutes): - Static stretching (e.g., bicep, triceps, chest muscles)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Time Frame: 5 weeks
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple test that objectively evaluates a patient's functional capacity. This simple walk test is particularly applicable in the CAD population due to the risk of acute cardiac events associated with the gold standard maximal exercise testing for assessing functional capacity. The 6MWT requires a 30-m, flat, hard walking path, a stopwatch, a lap counter and two cones to mark the turning points. The patients were instructed to walk as far as possible along the pathway, in 6 minutes. During the test encouragement was not given and only asked about their conditions. At the end, total walked distance was measured and recorded
5 weeks
Step test
Time Frame: 5 weeks
The 6 min step test is a safe, valid, sensitive, and reproducible tool for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness. The 6MST was shown to be a safe and reliable field test to assess exercise tolerance in a sample of very deconditioned adults at risk of CVD
5 weeks
Vo2 max
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Vo2 max was estimated using a graded exercise test. Oxygen consumption was measured using metabolic gas analyzer. In this research VO2 Max will be measured through a submaximal 6 mint walk test
5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
SF-12 Questionnaire
Time Frame: 5 weeks
The SF-12 are multi-item generic health surveys intended to measure general health. The SF 12 is a shorter version of the SF-36 and uses only 12 questions to measure functional health and well-being from the patient's perspective. SF-12 were first published in 1992 and 1996, respectively, with the revised versions of both questionnaires published in 2000. SF-12 measure 8 health domains: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health. The SF-12 consists of 12 items: 2 items on physical functioning, 2 items on role physical, 1 item on bodily pain, 1 item on general health, 1 item on vitality, 1 item on social functioning, 2 items on role emotional, and 2 items on mental health.
5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Arjumand Bano, MS, Riphah International University

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)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 1, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 17, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC/RCR & AHS/25/0301

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.

Subscribe