After 6 weeks of training, the exercise duration
and estimated work performed during the training
sessions increased. Treadmill testing at this point in
time revealed that treated subjects were able to walk
longer and to a higher grade but without an increase
in peak Vo2. At a submaximal treadmill work load,
fewer patients had claudication pain, and Vo2, ventilation,
and heart rate were reduced. These findings
suggest that the initial improvement in exercise performance
was related to a change in walking efficiency
or improvement in the tolerance of claudication
pain, leading to an ability to walk to a higher
work load without increasing peak Vo2. The above
findings were not observed in the control group and
may represent a learning effect from repeated treadmill
walking during the training sessions