Exercise standards. A statement for health professionals from the American Heart Association.

Abstract

T he purpose of this report is to provide stan- dards and guidelines for exercise testing and training of persons free of clinical manifes- tations of cardiovascular disease and those with known cardiovascular disease.They are directed to and appropriate for physicians, nurses, exercise spe- cialists, technologists, and other health professionals involved in regular exercise testing and training of these populations.These standards and guidelines coincide with the American Heart Association's "Statement on Exercise" published in Circulation (1990;81:396-398).These guidelines constitute a revision of earlier publications of the American Heart Association (AHA) that addressed the issues of exercise testing and training.Background and scientific rationale are provided and issues of practical importance in the clinical use of these standards are considered.Se- lected references are included. Exercise Testing The Cardiovascular Response to ExerciseExercise, a common physiological stress, can elicit cardiovascular abnormalities not present at rest and can be used to determine the adequacy of cardiac function.Exercise is only one of many stresses to which humans can be exposed; therefore, it is more appropriate to call an "exercise" test exactly that and not a "stress test." Types of exerciseTwo types of muscular contraction or exercise can be applied as a stress to the cardiovascular system: Isometric (static) or isotonic (dynamic).1 Isometric exercise, defined as a constant muscular contraction without movement (e.g., handgrip), imposes greater pressure than volume load on the left ventricle in "Exercise Standards" was approved by the American Heart Association Steering Committee on February 21, 1990.