Exercise Interventions for Cardiovascular Health: Optimizing Prevention, Rehabilitation and Long-Term Outcomes

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health and Preventive Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2026 | Viewed by 1059

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education, Health Sciences Centre, State University of Maringá, Maringá 87020-900, Brazil
Interests: obesity; physical fitness; cardiometabolic risk
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Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education, Biologic and Health Sciences Centre, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil
Interests: obesity; nutrition; physical activity; sedentary behavior; public health; cardiometabolic risk

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the crucial role of exercise in promoting cardiovascular health across the continuum of prevention, rehabilitation and long-term care. It gathers original research articles, systematic reviews and clinical perspectives addressing how structured physical activity and exercise interventions can prevent cardiovascular diseases, enhance recovery after cardiac events and improve quality of life and survival in patients with cardiovascular conditions. Key themes include evidence-based exercise prescriptions for different populations, the integration of exercise into multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation programs and strategies to improve adherence and long-term maintenance of physical activity. The Issue also explores innovative approaches such as digital health tools, individualized training protocols and combined lifestyle interventions. We are pleased to invite researchers, clinicians, and scholars to contribute to this Special Issue on ‘Exercise Interventions for Cardiovascular Health: Optimizing Prevention, Rehabilitation and Long-Term Outcomes.’ The Issue aims to advance scientific understanding and clinical practice related to the role of physical activity and exercise in cardiovascular health across diverse populations and care settings. We welcome original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials and conceptual or methodological papers that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics: Exercise as a preventive strategy for cardiovascular diseases Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention Lifestyle and behavioral interventions for long-term cardiovascular outcomes Innovations in digital health, tele-exercise, and personalized exercise programs Multidisciplinary and translational approaches in cardiovascular health promotion Submissions should demonstrate high methodological quality and contribute to the growing evidence base supporting exercise as a cornerstone of cardiovascular prevention and care.

Overall, this collection advances the understanding of how exercise serves as both a preventive and therapeutic tool, reinforcing its central role in cardiovascular health promotion and chronic disease management.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Nélson Nardo Júnior
Dr. Greice Westphal-Nardo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • exercise interventions
  • cardiovascular health
  • cardiac rehabilitation
  • physical activity
  • disease prevention
  • exercise physiology
  • cardiovascular adaptation
  • lifestyle modification
  • chronic disease management
  • long-term outcomes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1345 KB  
Article
Acute Effects of Intermittent High-Intensity Exercise on Cardiac Autonomic Regulation in Male Non-Elite Badminton Players: A Multi-Point Time Series Analysis
by Heping Huang, Hongfei Jiang, Huiming Huang, Shenguang Li and Su Liu
Healthcare 2026, 14(7), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14070864 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 634
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of intermittent high-intensity badminton court exercise on cardiac autonomic modulation in male non-elite badminton players. Methods: This study employed a single-arm, repeated-measures experimental design, recruiting 25 healthy male collegiate badminton players. Participants [...] Read more.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of intermittent high-intensity badminton court exercise on cardiac autonomic modulation in male non-elite badminton players. Methods: This study employed a single-arm, repeated-measures experimental design, recruiting 25 healthy male collegiate badminton players. Participants completed five sets of high-intensity intermittent court tests until exhaustion, followed by calculation of stress index (SI), time-domain (RMSSD and SDNN), and frequency-domain (LF, HF, and LF/HF ratio) parameters at rest using a certified heart rate variability (HRV) analyzer. Repeated-measures ANOVA and effect size (partial η2 and Hedges’ g) were used to assess changes and recovery trends of HRV parameters across time points: pre-test, immediate, 15 min, 24 h, and 48 h post-exercise. Results: (1) Stress index: The overall temporal trend showed statistical significance (p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.236, large effect size). Compared to pre-test, immediate and 15 min post-exercise increases were 8.24 (95% CI: 0.63–15.85) and 9.84 (95% CI: 3.07–16.61) respectively, with Hedges’ g values of 0.77 and 0.99 (p < 0.001, large effect sizes). Values returned to pre-test levels at 24 and 48 h with no significant differences (p > 0.05). (2) Time-domain parameters: The overall temporal trend was statistically significant (p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.553 for RMSSD and 0.586 for SDNN, both large effect sizes). Immediate post-exercise decreases in RMSSD and SDNN were 35.44 (95% CI: 21.95, 48.93) and 48.44 (95% CI: 32.49, 64.38) respectively, with Hedges’ g values of 2.31 and 2.78 (p < 0.001, large effect sizes). At 15 min, decreases were 31.64 (17.85, 45.42) and 41.48 (26.23, 56.72) respectively, with Hedges’ g values of 1.99 and 2.25 (p < 0.001, large effect sizes). Values returned to pre-test levels at 24 and 48 h with no significant differences (p > 0.05). (3) Frequency-domain parameters: Compared to pre-test, differences in LF, HF, and LF/HF were not statistically significant at any time point (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Following high-intensity exercise leading to peripheral fatigue, cardiac autonomic function demonstrates a “suppression–recovery” dynamic pattern: cardiac stress levels increase significantly within 15 min post-exercise, with decreased overall HRV regulatory capacity and strong inhibition of parasympathetic activity; HRV status may return to baseline levels after 24 h. However, the frequency-domain indices of HRV showed no significant changes in response to the acute effects of high-intensity exercise. Full article
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