Effect of Enhanced External Counter pulsation on Exercise Endurance of Different Populations

Abstract Background and Purpose: Enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP)is a beneficial adjunct therapy used widely according to Cardiac rehabilitation guideline. However, the relationship between EECP and exercise endurance in non-cardiac disease people is still unknown. So, we design this study to explore the effect of EECP on exercise endurance of normal people, athlete, and chronic obstructive disease (COPD) patients, for providing potential intervention approach to improve the exercise endurance of these people. Methods: All volunteers (24 normal people, 24 sprinter athlete,24 COPD patients，72 subjects totally enrolled) who referred for EECP therapy (i.e., 35–36 one-hour sessions within a seven-week period) to Jiangbin Hospital, Guangxi, China from June 1st to Sept 1ST, 2018 were included. Demographic data, vital signs, quadriceps femoris muscle strength (QFMS) and baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) data were collected. Exercise endurance and MS data before and after the treatment were compared. Results: All subjects in this study who had under-gone EECP had a positive clinical response. QFMS of normal group, athlete group and COPD group improved (p2), metabolic equivalent (Mets), oxygen pulse (O2-Pulse) at anaerobic threshold significantly increased in all three groups (p2, O2puls, Mets were increased after EECP (p＜0.05). Conclusions: Enhanced external counter pulsation significantly improved QFMS and the exercise endurance of normal people, athletes and COPD patients.This study’s findings support the continued use of EECP therapy in these three kinds of people and provide one putative physiological mechanism to help explain the improvements in muscle and exercise endurance. Key Words: enhanced external counter pulsation; normal people; low endurance athletes; COPD; exercise endurance