In order to study the relationship between bicycle-ergometer test and treadmill test, various parameters of cardiac function were compared before, during and after giving multiple loads in identical normal subjects and cardiac patients.
Method: Utilizing bicycle-ergometer, 5-minutes 50w/sec exercise was initially loaded in 49 cases consisted of 10 normal subjects and 39 patients with coronary heart disease (17 cases), valvular heart disease (16 cases) and hypertensive heart disease (6 cases) who were also divided into groups as Classes I (10 cases), II (22 cases), III (7 cases) of New York Heart Association (NYHA).
After full rest, 5-minutes 75w/sec exercise was then loaded in well-tolerated cases of 50w/sec exercise loading test, or 5-minutes 25w/sec exercise in non-tolerated cases.
3-7 days later, utilizing treadmill, 5-minutes 5°·30m/min exercise was loaded in these 49 cases. After full rest, 5-minutes 10°·50m/min exercise was loaded in well-tolerated cases of 5°·30m/min exercise loading test, or 5-minute 2.5°·20m/min exercise in non-tolerated cases.
In each test, the exercise loading was stopped when severe dyspnea, fatigue, palpitation, dizziness, slight chest pain, etc appeared, or S-T segment depression exceeding 2.0mm, or S-T segment elevation exceeding 2.0mm was observed on ECG.
Results: No significant difference in relative metabolic rate (RMR) and oxygen consumption were observed between 50w/sec and 5°·30m/min method, and between 25w/sec and 2.5°·20/min method. However, the RMR and the oxygen consumption in 75w/sec method were significantly lower than those in 10°·50m/min method.
Analysing the data of change in heart rate in exercise, maximum heart rate, 3-minutes total heart rate in recovery, physical fitness index (PFI), oxygen pulse, oxygen debt and ECG findings, it was found that the amounts of load of 50w/sec and 25w/sec were almost equal those of 5°·30m/min and 2.5°·20m/min, the amounts of load of 10°·5m/min was stronger than those of 75w/sec.
In 50w/sec method, severe complaints appeared in 20% of Class II (interrupted cases) and 83.3% of Class III patients. In 5°·30m/min method, severe complaints appeared in 20% of Class II (interrupted cases) and 28.6% of Class III patients.
Dullness of the lower-extremities and palpitation appeared much more frequently in bicycle-ergometer method than in treadmill method in the extent of 50-75w/sec or 50°·30m/min-10°·5m/min. Dyspnea appeared in both methods in similar frequency.
The exercise loading test using bicycle-ergometer was not suitable for some women, middle-or more than middle aged, because of their unskillfulness.
It was concluded that the treadmill method is more natural exercise loading test than bicycle-ergometer method for Japanese.
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