A large network meta-analysis examined how different exercise types affect heart function in adults with heart failure. The study included 3,519 participants and compared aerobic exercise, resistance training, combined exercise, mind-body exercise, and high-intensity interval training against a control group. Researchers looked specifically at changes in left ventricular ejection fraction, a key measure of heart pumping strength.
The analysis ranked resistance training as having the largest effect on improving heart function. High-intensity interval training and combined exercise also showed strong benefits, while aerobic exercise ranked fourth. The study used a statistical method called SUCRA to estimate the probability that each exercise type was the best option. Resistance training had the highest probability of being optimal.
The researchers also found a non-linear relationship between exercise volume and heart function improvement. For resistance training, benefits appeared at lower doses, while high-intensity interval training required higher thresholds to be effective. The study notes that evidence certainty ranged from very low to moderate across comparisons. Safety data were not reported in the source. Readers should take these findings as supportive of a precision-based rehabilitation strategy but not as definitive proof of safety or broad clinical outcomes.