The contribution of skeletal muscle abnormalities to exercise intolerance in heart failure (HF) is well established.1 Small muscle mass training, localized to the quadriceps femoris muscle group, has been a proposed intervention to target these impairments. Isolating exercise to one muscle group exerts less demand on the central circulation than whole-body exercise,2 potentially improving patient participation in therapeutic exercise programs.

Although the efficacy of exercise has been verified in HF,3,4 there are currently no published reviews for small muscle mass training. Hence, this review aimed to describe the characteristics of the isolated knee extensor training protocols and short-term outcomes such as exercise capacity, quadriceps muscle strength, and quality of life (QoL).