Short-term HIIT in deconditioned patients
has severe systemic disease that is not incapacitating,
or patient has incapacitating disease that is a constant
threat to life) (39). Adherence is a major limitation in
any study using exercise as an intervention. It is im-
perative to have an exercise protocol that is enjoyable,
especially because waiting for a potential life-saving
operation is very stressful. There are several studies
suggesting that HIIT is perceived to be more pleasu-
rable even if it is more physically demanding than a
moderate intensity exercise regime (40). Even though
it was not systematically evaluated, we observed that
our patients’ satisfaction and motivation improved
from the first to the last sessions as the date of surgery
approached. The patients who received prehabilitation
also seemed to remain more active and motivated to
get back to a fitter state in the post-operative period.
It would therefore be interesting to combine a preha-
bilitation HIIT regime with a post-operative rehabilita-
tion programme to determine if the benefits obtained
are maintained for a longer time and what influence it
has on the quality of life of the patients. Combining or
replacing a lower-body HIIT with an upper-body HIIT
could also be interesting for patients who have lower
limb impairment. Although 30% of the patients in the
rehabilitation group had chronic obstructive pulmo-
nary disease with dyspnoea at rest, and effort was a
challenge, the training was well tolerated, indicating
the possibility of its regular application in pulmonary
rehabilitation programmes. It would be important to
combine such training with nutrition coaching and
psychological support for the patients in future studies
in order to maximize the results.
Conclusion
A short-term HIIT paradigm using 15-s sprints at 100%
W max is feasible and safe in the pre-operative period
and increases cardio-respiratory fitness in patients
with NSLCC.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was supported by the Clinical Research Centre of
the University Hospital of Geneva and the Geneva Associa-
tion Against Cancer. Methodological support was given by the
Clinical Research Center, University of Geneva and Geneva
Hospitals, Antoine Poncet. We also thank all the collaborators
that made the study possible (16).
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
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