Frontiers in Neurology · Mar 13, 2026

Four weeks of supervised home-based aerobic cycling improves cardiopulmonary function in patients with Parkinson's disease

By Jiao Y, Liu GX, Wang J et al.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a short-term, supervised home-based aerobic cycling intervention on cardiopulmonary function in patients with mild-to-moderate PD. DESIGN: A single-center, pre-post intervention study was conducted. Seventeen PD patients (Hoehn-Yahr stage 1-3) underwent a 4-week supervised home-based cycling program, exercising at 70-80% of heart rate reserve for 40 min per session, three times per week. Remote supervision was facilitated via a mobile application. The primary outcome was maximal power output (W). Secondary outcomes included anaerobic threshold (AT), peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), heart rate parameters, and pulmonary function tests. Assessments were performed at baseline and after the intervention in the ON medication state. RESULTS: After the 4-week intervention, key cardiopulmonary parameters showed significant increases in Maximal power output (p < 0.001) and peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak) (p = 0.006). Anaerobic threshold power and related heart rate measures also showed significant enhancement (p < 0.05). Pulmonary function parameter revealed a slight improvement in peak expiatory flow (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A 4-week supervised home-based aerobic cycling program is a feasible and effective intervention, leading to significant improvements in aerobic capacity, metabolic efficiency, and cardiovascular response in patients with mild-to-moderate PD.

doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2026.1761398 Open access PubMed 41908277 Interventions