Effect of exercise intensity and frequency on lipid levels in men with coronary heart disease: Training level comparison trial

The objective of the Training Level Comparison Trial was to determine whether a more intense exercise program versus a less intensive program has additional favorable effects on blood lipids in men with coronary heart disease (CHD) over a 12-month period. The study—a randomized, controlled trial conducted at 2 clinical centers—enrolled 185 patients with documented CHD. A simple randomization procedure led to unequal numbers of patients in the 2 interventions: 82 in the low-intensity and 103 in the high-intensity group. Target heart rate during exercise corresponded to 50% of maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) ± 5 beats/min in the low-intensity group and 85% ± 5 beats/min in the high-intensity group. The intensity of exercise made little difference on lipid improvements. However, the attendance rates for the 6- and 12-month periods (percentage of total exercise sessions attended) were significantly related to increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (r s [Spearman rank correlation coefficient 0.20 to 0.26, p