Aerobic walking in slowly progressive neuromuscular disease: effect of a 12-week program.

OBJECTIVE

Poor cardiorespiratory endurance is a common finding in neuromuscular disease (NMD), and the capacity of such patients to respond to aerobic training is unclear. This study was conducted to determine if a 12-week walking program results in increased aerobic capacity in slowly progressive NMD subjects, whether such a program is safely tolerated, and whether such patients can adhere to a self-monitored, home-based training program.

DESIGN

Before-after trial.

SETTING

Subjects' homes.

PATIENTS

A cohort of 8 slowly progressive NMD subjects (4 men, 4 women) followed in the neuromuscular disease clinic participated (age, 36.6 +/- 8.0 yrs; ht, 170 +/- 11 cm; wt, 74.3 +/- 19.0 kg) (Mean +/- SD).

INTERVENTION

Subjects walked 15 to 30 min 3 to 4 days a week at 50% to 60% of their heart rate reserve.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Resting, submaximal, and peak heart rates, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, oxygen uptake, and peak power output.

RESULTS

Graded exercise testing to volitional fatigue using a semirecumbent cycle ergometer before and after the training program found significant decreases in submaximal heart rate by 7 +/- 3 beats/min (Mean +/- SEM) (95% CI = -23 to 9) (p = .046) and submaximal systolic blood pressure by 11 +/- 4 mmHg (95% CI = -31 to 9) (p = .019), and nonsignificant increases in peak power output and VO2.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training is well tolerated and may provide modest improvement in aerobic capacity in slowly progressive NMD subjects.