High-Intensity Interval Training Benefits Patients Recovering From Stroke

A recent study found that short, 1-minute bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be more effective for improving the fitness of patients recovering from stroke than traditional moderate-intensity exercise. The findings were published in Stroke.

In this multisite trial, which took place between September 2018 and March 2024, researchers assessed 82 predominantly White adults (50 men, 32 women; 40-80 years of age). Patients in the population of interest had mild or minimal disability from a stroke that took place about 1.8 years earlier.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 3 days per week of HIIT training for 12 weeks or 3 days per week of traditional exercise sessions for 12 weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of ten 1-minute intervals of high-intensity exercise, interspersed with nine 1-minute low-intensity intervals, for 19 minutes total. The traditional exercise sessions involved 20 to 30 minutes of steady exercise at moderate intensity.

According to the findings, cardiorespiratory fitness levels improved twice as much in patients in the HIIT group versus those in the traditional exercise group (3.5 milliliters of oxygen consumed in 1 minute per kilogram of body weight [mL/kg/min] compared with 1.7 mL/kg/min).

Improvements in the HIIT group remained above clinically notable thresholds even at the 8-week follow-up (1.71 mL/kg/min), whereas improvements in the traditional exercise group did not (0.67 mL/kg/min).

Patients in both groups gained improvement in walking endurance. At baseline, patients in both groups could walk about 355 meters over 6 minutes. Following 12 weeks of exercise, patients in both groups increased their walking distance by 8 meters. After the 8-week follow-up, they increased their walking distance by 18 meters.

“This study shows that people with stroke can also benefit from HIIT,” said Kevin Moncion, PhD, a physiotherapist who led this study as part of his doctoral studies at McMaster University. “With the right support and guidance, stroke survivors can safely and effectively engage in HIIT, significantly improving their overall health and recovery.”