After a 10-minute warm-up phase at 5W, IT consisted of 12
repetitions of 30 seconds of cycling exercise, followed by 60
seconds of complete rest. The exercise intensity was 50% and
80% of the maximal power reached during a steep ramp test
during the first 4 weeks and the last 4 weeks, respectively. Each
training session consisted of 3 series (12 repetitions of 30s of
exercise), separated by 5 minutes of rest. Half of the CT was
performed on a treadmill and half on a cycle ergometer (for
practical and organizational reasons). CT was composed of a
10-minute warm-up followed by 45 minutes of aerobic exercise
corresponding to the heart rate at the VT1 and a final 5 minutes
of active recovery. Patients in the IT group practiced 168
minutes of exercise weekly, and patients in the CT group
practiced 360 minutes of exercise weekly.