ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
5
HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING 
IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH 
CARDIOV ASCULAR DISEASES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Tamara ILIĆ
1
, Doroteja RANČIĆ
1
, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ
1
, Ismail ILBAK
2
1
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš
2
 İnönü University, Institute of Health Sciences, Malatya, Türkiye
Corresponding author:
Tamara ILIĆ
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš
Čarnojevića 10a, 18000 Niš, Serbia
Telephone number: +381644481191
Email: tamarailic.fsfv@gmail.com
ABSTRACT 
Purpose: The aim of this study was to review the literature analyzing the effects of 
aerobic interval training in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular patients.
Methods: Research data was collected considering the inclusion and exclusion cri-
teria of the research studies published in English. In order for the study to be included 
in the analysis, it had to meet the following criteria: year of publication (2004–2022), 
respondents were people with cardiovascular disease, and the studies included in this 
review must contain data on disease, training programme and outcomes. Papers with-
out full texts available and systematic review studies were excluded. The first search 
identified 71 articles. In the initial assessment carried out in accordance with the inclu-
sion and exclusion criteria, 15 articles were found suitable and were included in the 
study, while 20 studies were excluded for being duplicates, 28 studies excluded for not 
having the full text available and eight for non-compliance. 
Results: The reviewed materials indicate that aerobic interval training has an im-
pact on VO
2
 max, functional abilities, VO
2
 peak and functional capacity in the reha-
bilitation of cardiovascular diseases, especially in the elderly. The duration of the pro-
gramme in most studies has a similar time range from 10 to 16 weeks. The programmes 
that showed the best effects are related to aerobic interval training, from 2 to 3 times 
per week with moderate (50–60% of VO
2
 max) or high intensity (80–90% of VO
2
 max).
Review article                                                       DOI: https://doi.org/10.35469/ak.2023.390
received: 2023-05-04      UDC: 796.015:616.1-052

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ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
Conclusion: Studies indicate that properly dosed physical activity contributes to a 
better lifestyle for people with cardiovascular diseases. All 15 studies showed positive 
effects of aerobic interval training in cardiovascular disease rehabilitation.
Keywords: aerobic exercise, interval training, rehabilitation, cardiovascular dis-
eases
ZDRA VSTVENI VIDIKI AEROBNEGA INTERV ALNEGA 
TRENINGA PRI REHABILITACIJI PACIENTOV S SRČNO-ŽILNIMI 
BOLEZNIMI: SISTEMATIČNI PREGLED
IZVLEČEK
Namen: Namen raziskave je pripraviti pregled literature, v kateri so analizirani 
učinki aerobnega intervalnega treninga na rehabilitacijo pacientov s srčno-žilnimi 
boleznimi.
Metode: Podatki o raziskavah so bili zbrani ob upoštevanju meril za vključitev 
in izključitev, in sicer za raziskave, objavljene v angleškem jeziku. V analizo so bile 
vključene raziskave, ki so izpolnjevale naslednja merila: objavljene so bile med let-
oma 2004 in 2022, anketiranci so bili ljudje s srčno-žilnimi boleznimi, poleg tega so 
raziskave vključevale tudi podatke o bolezni, programu treninga in rezultatih. Po drugi 
strani v analizo niso bili vključeni raziskave, katerih besedilo ni bilo v celoti dosto-
pno, in sistematični pregledi raziskav. S prvim iskanjem je bilo najdenih 71 člankov. 
V začetno oceno je bilo v skladu z merili za vključitev in izključitev vključenih 15 
člankov, medtem ko je bilo 20 raziskav izključenih, ker so bile podvojene, 28 raziskav 
je izključenih, ker ni bilo na voljo celotnega besedila, osem pa jih je bilo izključenih 
zaradi neskladnosti.
Rezultati: Pregledana gradiva kažejo, da aerobni intervalni trening vpliva na mak-
simalno aerobno moč (VO
2 
max), funkcionalne sposobnosti, najvišjo vrednost porabe 
kisika (VO
2 
peak) in funkcionalne zmogljivosti pri rehabilitaciji v primeru srčno-žilnih 
bolezni, zlasti pri starejših. V večini raziskav programi trajajo od 10 do 16 tednov. Tisti, 
ki so se izkazali za najučinkovitejše, so povezani z aerobnim intervalnim treningom in 
se izvajajo od 2- do 3-krat tedensko z zmerno (50–60 % vrednosti VO2 max) ali visoko 
intenzivnostjo (80–90 % vrednosti VO
2 
max).
Zaključek: Raziskave kažejo, da ustrezna količina telesne dejavnosti prispeva 
k boljšemu življenjskemu slogu oseb s srčno-žilnimi boleznimi. Vseh 15 raziskav je 
pokazalo pozitivne učinke aerobnega intervalnega treninga pri rehabilitaciji v primeru 
srčno-žilnih bolezni.
Ključne besede: aerobn, intervalni trening, rehabilitacija, srčno-žilne bolezni

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
INTRODUCTION
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality world-
wide and in Europe (Lozano et al., 2012). It is estimated that 13 million deaths 
worldwide are caused by CVD. In Europe, more than 80% of all CVD mortality 
occurs in developing countries. Both mortality and disability caused by CVD 
remain extremely high and thereby CVD is still the leading somatic cause of 
loss of productivity (Van Camp, 2014). Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation 
has been established as a beneficial treatment approach for patients with cardio-
vascular diseases (CVDs). However, optimal exercise characteristics that elicit 
the most favourable effects for CVD patients are still a matter of controversy 
(Vanhees, Rauch, Piepoli, & van Buuren, 2012). 
The “traditional” approach to prescribing exercise intensity for cardiac re-
habilitation is between 60–80% of VO
2
 max, resulting in an average increase of 
20% of VO
2
 max. Intensity appears to be a significant predictor of rehabilitation 
programme efficacy, as higher intensity leads to greater improvements in VO
2
 
max, even after adjusting for other training-related variables (Rankin, Rankin, 
MacIntyre, & Hillis, 2012). However, higher intensity is difficult to sustain over 
a longer period; therefore, Mezzani et al. (2013) suggest an interval structure 
that refers to shorter exercise sessions with high to severe intensity (60–95% of 
VO
2
 max) with duration from 3 to 20 minutes. 
Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of physical activ-
ity in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases 
(Scrutino, Bellotto, Lagioia, & Passantino, 2005; Secco, Paffenberger, & Lee, 
2000; Šuščević et al., 2011). Physical activity was not previously recognized as 
having a significant impact on the prevention and rehabilitation of CVDs. How-
ever, in recent years, significant changes have occurred due to the emergence 
of strong evidence of the effectiveness of primary and secondary prevention 
(Fletcher et al., 2013). It has been established that physical activity has a pow-
erful and beneficial effect on human health, particularly in the pathogenesis of 
diseases that make up metabolic syndrome, including CVDs (Ades & Coello, 
2000). Physical activity is part of a multifactorial concept that, in addition to 
reducing risk factors, lifestyle changes and therapy, leads to a reduction in car-
diovascular risk (Šuščević et al., 2011). In contrast, physical inactivity is one of 
the main risk factors and causes two million deaths annually (Petković-Košćal, 
Damjanov, Jevtović, Jovanović & Pantović, 2007).
Considering previous studies, there is a need for further and more detailed 
analysis of the implementation of aerobic interval training in the rehabilita-
tion of patients with cardiovascular disease. Although there are many studies 

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
investigating aerobic interval training in the rehabilitation of CVDs, to be able 
to draw a conclusion on this topic there is a need for a systematic review of 
studies that employ different structures, intensity and frequency of this kind of 
training in practice. Research in this direction will make it possible to obtain in-
formation about health aspects of aerobic interval training in the rehabilitation 
of CVD patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the literature 
analyzing the effects of aerobic interval training in the rehabilitation of cardio-
vascular patients.
METHODS
This research was designed using the systematic review technique. Research 
data was collected considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the re-
search published, as a result of a search made by using the keywords “aerobic, 
interval, training, rehabilitation, cardiovascular diseases” in English. The search 
string was related to aerobic interval training with the following combination 
of keywords used in all databases: “aerobic interval training” AND “rehabilita-
tion” AND “cardiovascular diseases”.  The search was performed on the Web 
of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed databases. In accordance with the Pre-
ferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 
guidelines, a systematic review of the available literature was undertaken (Mo-
her et al., 2009) (Figure 1.). The first search identified 71 articles. In the initial 
assessment carried out in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 
15 articles were found suitable and were included in the study, while 56 stud-
ies were excluded. In order for a study to be included in the analysis, it had to 
meet the following criteria: year of publication (2004–2022), respondents were 
people with cardiovascular disease, and the studies included in this review must 
contain data on disease, the training programme and outcomes. Papers without 
the full text available and systematic review studies were excluded. References 
from all papers were reviewed in order to find more studies that deal with a 
topic that is interesting and related to our review paper.

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
Included Analysis Identification
Articles identified through 
database searching 
n=71
Articles (duplicates) removed
n=20 
Articles included in systematic 
review  
n=15 
Excluded (no full text 
available) 
n=28
Eliminated articles 
for non-compliance to 
including criteria 
n=8
Articles analyzed 
n=51
Full text articles assessed for 
eligibility 
n=23
Eligibility
Figure 1. PRISMA flow chart of the article selection process

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ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
RESULTS
In this part, 15 original scientific studies will be presented on the topic of 
the influence of physical activity on the arterial blood pressure of the elderly in 
Table 1.
The number of respondents did not vary much from study to study, where 
the lowest number of respondents (21) was seen in the study (Rognmo, Het-
land, Helgerud, Hoff, & Slørdahl, 2004), while the highest number of respond-
ents (200) was seen in the study (Conraads et al., 2015).  The studies had either 
only male or only female population, except for study (Papathanasiou et al., 
2020), which contained a mixed population. The age range did not vary much 
in the studies (mostly between 53–65 years), while the youngest population 
was seen in the study of Lee, Tsai, Oh and Brooks (2018), where there were 
respondents aged 30. All research studies had the same goal, examination of the 
impact of aerobic interval training (AIT) in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular 
disease (CVD) patients. The reviewed materials indicate that aerobic interval 
training has numerous health aspects in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular dis-
eases, especially in the elderly. The duration of the programme in most studies 
had a similar time range from 10 to 16 weeks, and the programmes that showed 
the best effects are related to aerobic interval training, from 2 to 3 times a week 
with moderate (50–60% of VO
2
 max) or high intensity (80–90% of VO
2
 max).

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
Table 1. Systematic review of the studies
Аuthors Participants Purpose
Type of physical activity (intensity and 
frequency)
Results
Rognmo et al. 
(2004)
n=21 (М)
age 57.1±5.1 
(CVD)
The influence of 
different intensities of 
AIT in the rehabilitation 
of CVDs.
Supervised treadmill walking was performed 
at high intensity (80-90% VO
2
 peak) or 
moderate intensity (50-60% VO
2
 peak) three 
times a week for 10 weeks.
VO
2
 peak 17.9% ↑ 
in the high-intensity 
group and 7.9% ↑ in 
the moderate-intensity 
group (p=0.074)
Smart & 
WSteele 
(2012)
n=23 (M)
age 66±7
(Congestive 
heart failure)
Health aspects of AIT 
in the rehabilitation of 
congestive heart disease 
The participants were divided into two 
groups. These groups completed 16 weeks of 
stationary cycling at 70% VO
2
 max three times 
a week for 30 minutes continuously or 60 
minutes (60sec work: 60sec rest).
VO
2
 max group one: 
13%↑ (p = 0.12); group 
two 21%↑ (p=0.03).
Rankin et al. 
(2012)
n=31 (F)
 age 63±2 
(Menopause with 
CVD)
Examination of the 
health aspects of AIT 
in the rehabilitation of 
CVD in women
Supervised treadmill walking was performed 
at high intensity (75-85% VO
2
 peak) or 
moderate intensity (45-55% VO
2
 peak) three 
times a week for 10 weeks.
High-intensity AIT 
showed that VO
2
 max ↑ 
(12%; p=0.085)
Madssen et al. 
(2014)
n=36 (М)
age 50-63.5
 (CVD)
The effects of two 
types of training on 
the rehabilitation of 
coronary heart disease 
AIT (intervals at ≈90% of maximum heart 
rate) or MCT (continuous exercise at ≈70% 
of maximum heart rate) were performed 
three times a week for 12 weeks after the 
implantation of an intracoronary stent.
AIT↑ 13.2% (p=0.05) 
MCT↑ 12.7% (p=0.05).
Kim et al. 
(2015)
n=28 (F)
Age 61±8
(Acute 
myocardial 
infarction)
 The health aspects of 
AIT in acute myocardial 
infarctions in older 
women
AIT at 85-95% intensity or MCT at 70-85% 
intensity, three days a week for six weeks in a 
cardiac rehabilitation clinic. 
AIT VO
2
 peak↑ 22.16% 
(p = 0.021) 
MCT VO
2
 peak 8.7% 
(p=0.021)

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ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
Аuthors Participants Purpose
Type of physical activity (intensity and 
frequency)
Results
Cardozo et al. 
(2015)
n=71 (M)
Age 56±12 
(CVD)
The health aspects of 
AIT in the rehabilitation 
of CVD
EG performed 30 minutes of continuous 
aerobic exercise at 70-75% of maximum 
heart rate (HRmax), while HIIT performed 
30-minute sessions divided into 2-minute 
alternating attacks at 60%/90% HRmax (three 
times a week for 16 weeks).
VO
2
 max↑ 22.5% 
(p<0.05)
Conraads et 
al. (2015)
n=200 (М)
Age 58.4±9.1 
(Coronary artery 
disease)
Examine the effects of 
AIT in the rehabilitation 
of CVD 
A supervised 12-week cardiac rehabilitation 
programme of three weekly sessions or AIT 
(90-95% of peak heart rate) or MCT (70-75% 
of peak heart rate) on a bicycle.
VO
2 
max↑(AIT 
22.7±17.6% versus 
MCT 20.3±15.3%). 
p<0.05
Jaureguizar et 
al. (2016)
n=72 (М)
age 52-67
 (Ischaemic heart 
disease)
Examine the health 
aspects of AIT in the 
rehabilitation of CHD
A supervised 8-week cardiac rehabilitation 
programme of three weekly sessions or AIT 
(80-90% of peak heart rate (HR)) on a bicycle.
VO
2
 max↑ 21% 
(p<0.05)
Ulbrich et al. 
(2016)
n=22 (М) 
Age 53.8±8 
(Chronic heart 
disease)
Health aspects of AIT in 
participants with chronic 
heart disease
The participants underwent 12 weeks of 
supervised aerobic training, lasting 60 
minutes, three times a week (60-70%)
AIT VO
2
 max↑ VO
2
 
peak↑ 20.7% (p<0.01)
Anderson et 
al. (2016)
n=31 (F) 
Age 59.9±11.1
(Coronary artery 
disease)
The health aspects of 
HIIT were investigated 
in the rehabilitation of 
CVD in older women 
with coronary artery 
disease.
Aerobic interval training on a bicycle 
ergometer for 16 weeks, three times a week 
for 45-60 minutes, with a model of linear 
periodization and gradual increase every four 
weeks at 60-70% VO
2
 peak.
AIT VO
2
 peak↑ 20.8% 
(p<0.05)

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
Аuthors Participants Purpose
Type of physical activity (intensity and 
frequency)
Results
Lee et al. 
(2018)
n=72 
Age 30-50 
(CVD)
Examine the impact 
of AIT on CVD 
rehabilitation
Aerobic interval training on a stationary 
bicycle for 60 minutes, three times a week at 
50-75% of maximum heart rate, for 10 weeks.
VO
2
 peak↑ (p<0.001); 
reduced the frequency 
of CVD by 3.13%.
Lee et al. 
(2019)
n=31 (F)  
Age 68.2±9.2 
(Menopause with 
coronary artery 
disease)
Examine the impact of 
AIT on the rehabilitation 
of coronary artery 
disease
Four intervals of four minutes at 90-95% of 
maximum heart rate, three times a week + plus 
twice a week for 8 weeks.
VO
2
 max↑ 22.56% 
(p<0.05)
Silveira et al. 
(2020)
n=34 (F) 
Age 60±9 
(CVD)
Investigate the benefits 
of HIIT in older women 
with CVD
A clinical trial with exercise three days a 
week for 12 weeks was conducted. Patients 
with CVD were randomly assigned to 
high-intensity interval training or moderate 
continuous training.
VO
2
 peak↑: HIIT 22% 
(p<0.05): MCT 11% 
(p<0.05).
Papathanasiou 
et al. 
(2020)
n=120 (M+F)
 Age 63.73±6.68 
(CVD)
 Examine the health 
aspects of HIIT in the 
rehabilitation of CVD in 
the older population
Participants were encouraged to pedal at a 
frequency of 65-80 revolutions per minute 
(rpm). The exercise ended when the pedal 
frequency dropped below 40 rpm and the 
participants were exhausted. Three times per 
week for 16 weeks.
HIIT↑ (p<0.001)in the 
rehabilitation of CVD 
in elderly participants
Liu et al. 
(2022)
n=24 (F)
Age 64.2±4.2 
(CVD)
Examining the health 
aspects of HIIT in the 
rehabilitation of CVD
Supervised treadmill walking was performed 
at high-intensity (80-90% VO
2
 peak) or 
moderate-intensity (50-60% VO
2
 peak) three 
times per week for 20 weeks.
HIIT↑VO
2
 peak 
(21.3%; p<0.05);
Legend: ↑ - improvement; CVD – cardiovascular diseases; AIT – aerobic interval training; HIIT – high-intensity interval training; М – male; 
F – female; n - number of participants; ЕG – experimental group.

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ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
DISCUSSION 
The aim of the study was to perform a literature review of studies examining 
the health aspects of aerobic interval training for the rehabilitation of cardio-
vascular patients. The cardiorespiratory endurance of CVD patients improved 
in all studies that examined the effects of high- and moderate-intensity interval 
training, whereas high-intensity interval training produces greater cardiorespi-
ratory adaptations, related to VO
2
 max, than moderate-intensity interval train-
ing, according to the data (Table 1).
Most of the studies presented in Table 1 investigated the impact of high- 
and moderate-intensity aerobic interval training on CVD patients (Rognmo et 
al., 2004; Rankin et al., 2012; Madssen et al., 2014; Kim, Choi, & Lim, 2015; 
Cardozo, Oliveira, & Farinatti, 2015; Conraads et al., 2015; Donelli da Silveira 
et al., 2020; Liu, Liu, Ji, Dai, & Han, 2022). Some studies showed that high-
intensity interval training, ranging from 80–95% HRmax, induced significant 
improvements in VO
2
 max ranging from 13–22% after a 6- (Kim et al., 2015), 
10–12- (Rognmo et al., 2004; Rankin et al., 2012; Madssen et al., 2014; Con-
raads et al., 2015; Donelli da Silveira et al., 2020) and 16–20- (Cardozo et al., 
2015; Liu et al., 2022) week experimental programme. Since all the studies 
showed significant cardiorespiratory adaptations it can be noted that the inten-
sity variable plays crucial role in achieving those adaptations. However, it is 
worth mentioning that the studies presented in this paragraph also compared 
high- and moderate-intensity exercises. Considering the cardiorespiratory ad-
aptations of moderate-intensity groups, improvements in VO
2
 max ranged from 
8–20% after a 6- (Kim et al., 2015), 10–12- (Rognmo et al., 2004; Rankin et 
al., 2012; Madssen et al., 2014; Conraads et al., 2015; Donelli da Silveira et al., 
2020) and 16–20- (Cardozo et al., 2015; Liu et al., 2022) week experimental 
programme. Both  high- and moderate-intensity exercise programme showed 
significant improvements in VO
2
 max, although high-intensity interval training 
seemed to induce a slightly higher increment in cardiorespiratory indications 
than moderate training in CVDs patients.
Some of the studies examined only the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic 
interval training on CVD patients (Smart & Steele, 2012; Ulbrich et al., 2016; 
Anderson et al., 2016; Lee et al., 2018; Papathanasiou et al., 2020). The inten-
sity in most of these studies ranges from 55–75% HRmax inducing a significant 
impact on VO
2
 max of around of 20% after 10–12 (Ulbrich et al., 2016; Lee 
et al., 2018) and 16 (Smart & Steele, 2012; Anderson et al., 2016; Papathana-
siou et al., 2020) weeks of moderate-intensity exercise. Since all of the studies 
showed improvements on the health aspects of aerobic interval training, it can 

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Tamara ILIĆ1, Doroteja RANČIĆ1, Stefan STOJANOVIĆ1, Ismail ILBAK: HEALTH ASPECTS OF AEROBIC INTERV AL TRAINING ..., 5 –18
be seen that moderate-intensity training can also be used in rehabilitation with 
CVD patients. 
A few studies investigated only the effect of high-intensity aerobic interval 
training on CVD patients (Jaureguizar et al., 2016; Lee, Tsai, Brooks, & Oh, 
2019). In these studies the intensity ranged from 80–95% of HRmax that affect-
ed the improvement of VO
2
 max 21–22% for 8 weeks (Jaureguizar et al., 2016; 
Lee et al., 2019). Both of the studies showed that this type of high-intensity 
interval training can be used to benefiting aspects of health in the rehabilitation 
of CVD patients.
All of the studies, that investigated the effects of high- and moderate-inten-
sity interval training showed positive improvements of cardiorespiratory endur-
ance in CVD patients. However, based on the data shown (Table 1), it can be 
noted that high-intensity interval training has a slightly better effect on cardi-
orespiratory adaptations, regarding VO
2
 max, compared to moderate-intensity 
interval training. 
Limitations of the study
This study has potential limitations. Firstly, the study’s inclusion and exclu-
sion criteria, which were quite restrictive, likely reduced the amount of litera-
ture retrieved. Secondly, only articles published in English were included in 
this systematic review.
CONCLUSION
The aim of this study was to systematize the literature that examines the 
health aspects of aerobic interval training in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular 
patients. In conclusion, this study showed that both high- and moderate-inten-
sity  interval training are valid interventions in cardiovascular rehabilitation, 
positively inducing cardiorespiratory adaptations. However, when comparing 
the data of the analyzed studies, we concluded that high-intensity interval train-
ing contributes slightly more to the health aspects regarding cardiorespiratory 
adaptations than moderate-intensity training does. 

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ANNALES KINESIOLOGIAE • 14 • 2023 • 1
Acknowledgement 
All authors equally contributed in preparation of this manuscript.
Conflict of interest 
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. 
Future research 
For future research, we recommend the inclusion of a larger number of stud-
ies in the systematic review.
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