Abstract
Background. Patients with atrial fibrillation commonly experience decreased exercise tolerance, lower peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), and reduced overall physical activity levels, which negatively affect quality of life and cardiovascular outcomes. Catheter ablation has become an effective rhythm-control strategy, with growing evidence demonstrating improvements in functional capacity and cardiopulmonary efficiency after restoration of sinus rhythm. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Keywords included “atrial fibrillation,” “catheter ablation,” “exercise capacity,” “cardiorespiratory fitness,” and “reference values.” After screening 160 records, 48 peer-reviewed articles were included for qualitative analysis. Results. The reviewed studies consistently report that atrial fibrillation significantly reduces VO₂peak, exercise duration, and physical activity tolerance due to impaired cardiac output and rhythm irregularity. Catheter ablation is associated with significant improvements in cardiopulmonary performance, exercise capacity, and patient-reported quality of life. However, the extent of recovery varies among individuals. Importantly, the literature reveals a lack of population-specific reference values for cardiorespiratory fitness in Central Asian and Kazakh populations. Conclusion. Evidence supports the detrimental impact of atrial fibrillation on functional capacity and the beneficial role of catheter ablation in improving cardiorespiratory performance. Nevertheless, the absence of regional normative data represents a major limitation for clinical interpretation, highlighting the need for population-based studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.