BACKGROUND: Studies relating physical exercises and health have contributed to elucidate the influence of sedentary habits on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of different intensities of aerobic exercises on patients' functional capacity (VO2peak) and quality of life after acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: Eighty-seven men (57.7 +/- 6.1 years old) were enrolled in this prospective study and assigned to one of three groups: (a) high-intensity physical training (n = 29) at 85% maximum heart rate for 12 weeks; (b) moderate-intensity training (n = 29) at 75% maximum heart rate for 12 weeks; and (c) control group (n = 29), who were followed. The training groups did aerobic exercises five times a week in 45-minute sessions, besides muscular strengthening and stretching exercises. Maximum VO2 was measured through a cardiopulmonary test, and quality of life was assessed through the MacNew Questionnaire. RESULTS: Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant increase in VO2peak (p < 0.05) in the high-intensity training group (from 29.9 +/- 2.2 ml/kg/min to 41.6 +/- 3.9 ml/kg/min) compared with the moderate-intensity training group (from 32.0 +/- 5.3 ml/kg/min to 37.1 +/- 3.9 ml/kg/min). Additionally, both training groups showed a significant increase in this parameter compared with the control group (from 31.6 +/- 3.9 ml/kg.min to 29.2 +/- 4.1 ml/kg/min). Quality of life improved significantly (p < 0.05) in the high-intensity training group (from 5.66 to 6.80) and in the moderate-intensity training group (from 5.38 to 6.72), but not in the control group (from 5.30 to 5.15). CONCLUSION: Exercises of greater intensity resulted in an increase in functional capacity and quality of life in patients after myocardial infarction.

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