High-Intensity Track and Field training in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

A 65-year-old male athlete with coronary artery disease enrolled in our cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program after successful coronary artery bypass graft surgery following an acute myocardial infarction. Unlike the typical sedentary cardiac patient in his age group, he loved to participate in hurdle events at masters division track meets (competitions for athletes aged 30 years and older). He expressed a strong desire to return to his sport, so we designed a sport-specific, symptom-limited exercise program that enabled him to train safely but at a higher intensity than is typically allowed in conventional CR programs. Although his measured peak heart rates during the sport-specific sessions were significantly higher than the calculated maximum heart rate limits usually imposed on patients during conventional CR exercise training, the patient had no adverse events and safely reached his fitness goal. When developing a CR plan, health care professionals should consider the patient’s goals, not just his or her age.