Because individuals with claudication pain secondary to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are limited in both walking speed and duration, the benefits of walking exercise may be insufficient to yield a cardiovascular training effect. The objectives of this analysis were to determine whether polestriding exercise training, performed by persons with PAD, would improve exercise endurance, elicit a cardiovascular training benefit, and improve quality of life (QoL). Persons (n = 49) whose claudication pain limited their exercise capacity were randomized into a 24-week polestriding training program (n = 25, 65.8 +/- 7.1 years of age) or a nonexercise attention control group (n = 24, 68.0 +/- 8.6 years of age). Those assigned to the polestriding group trained 3 times weekly. Control group subjects came to the laboratory biweekly for ankle blood pressure measurements. A symptom-limited ramp treadmill test, ratings of perceived leg pain, and QoL data (using the Short Form-36) were obtained at baseline and upon completion of training. After 24 weeks of polestriding training, subjects increased their exercise endurance from 10.3 +/- 4.1 minute to 15.1 +/- 4.5 minute. This was significantly greater than control group subjects whose exercise endurance declined (from 11.2 +/- 4.7 to 10.3 +/- 4.7 minute; P < .001). Relationships between systolic blood pressure (P < .001), heart rate (P = .04), rate pressure product (P = .05), oxygen uptake (P = .016), and perceived leg pain (P = .02) and exercise time improved from the baseline symptom-limited treadmill test to the 6-month symptom-limited treadmill test in the polestriding group compared to the control group. The improvement in the physical component summary score of the Short Form-36 was also greater in the polestriding group (P = .031). Polestriding training significantly improved the clinical indicators of cardiovascular fitness and QoL, and decreased symptoms of claudication pain during exertion.

PoleStriding effectively improved the exercise tolerance and perceived QOL of patients with PAD. Little additional benefit to exercise capacity was realized from vitamin E supplementation.

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