High Intensity Interval Training in Chronic Stroke

Inclusion Criteria:

- 1) age 35-90 years

- 2) unilateral stroke experienced >6 months prior to enrollment

- 3) gait speed <1.0 m/s

- 4) able to walk 10m overground with assistive devices as needed and no physical
assistance

- 5) able to walk 3 minutes on the treadmill at >.13m/s (0.3mph) with no aerobic
exercise contraindications

- 6) stable cardiovascular condition (American Heart Association class B, allowing for
aerobic capacity <6 metabolic equivalents)

- 7) discharged from formal rehabilitation

Exclusion Criteria:

- 1) significant resting ECG abnormalities

- 2) evidence of significant arrhythmia or myocardial ischemia on treadmill ECG stress
test

- 3) hospitalization for cardiac or pulmonary disease within 3 months

- 4) pacemaker or implanted defibrillator

- 5) lower extremity claudication

- 6) Mini-Mental State Exam <23/30

- 7) severe lower extremity spasticity (Ashworth >2)

- 8) lower extremity weight bearing pain >4/10 on visual analogue scale

For the transcranial magnetic stimulation substudy, additional exclusions will also be
applied. These include large cerebral infarcts or other structural defects with the
potential to increase seizure risk, uncontrolled seizures, metal implants and previous
craniotomy.