Exercise capacity following heart transplant: case report on the physical work capacity of a 37 year old competitive cyclist following orthotopic heart transplant

Abstract

Physical work capacity in heart transplant recipients typically does not exceed 60% of age-predicted normal levels. It is unknown what levels might be achieved in these patients if they were involved in strenuous exercise training prior to transplantation. A 37 year-old, professionally trained male cyclist suffered an acute myocardial infarction immediately following a road race and received a heart transplant four months later. The participant resumed training for competitive cycling one month following the transplant. His peak VO2 was 92% and peak heart rate was 90% of age predicted values six months post transplant. Results indicate that for this participant, a more aggressive approach to heart transplant recovery was well tolerated and suggests that similar programs could be applied to other heart transplant recipients.