Benefits of interval-training on fatigue & functional capacities in CMt

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Muscle Nerve. 2008 Mar 11

Benefits of interval-training on fatigue and functional capacities in

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

El Mhandi L, Millet GY, Calmels P, A, Oullion R, Gautheron V,

F¨¦asson L.

Unit of Physiology, Physiopathology of Exercise and Handicap, Faculty

of Medicine Jacques Lisfranc, University Monnet, and Units of

Sport Medicine and Myology, Bellevue Hospital, 42055 Saint©\Etienne,

France.

Exercise intolerance and undue fatigue are common complaints in

patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. Reduced physical

ability is due directly to the disease, but it is also due to

physical deconditioning. The aim of this study was to test whether 24

weeks of interval-training exercise (ITE) cycling can significantly

improve physiological, neuromuscular, and functional capacities and

alleviate fatigue in CMT patients.

Eight CMT patients (4 CMT1A and 4 CMT2) participated in ITE for 3

nonconsecutive days per week. Cardiovascular fitness, muscle

strength, fatigue resistance, and functional capacities were measured

before and after 12 weeks of supervised hospital training and again

after another 12 weeks of unsupervised home training.

Training was well tolerated. There were significant improvements in

cardiorespiratory capacities, isokinetic concentric strength, and

functional ability measurements. All patients experienced an

improvement in their self-reported visual analogic scale for fatigue

and pain during training. However, there was no significant change in

their isometric force production and indices of fatigue resistance

after training.

Although the improvement in exercise tolerance may be due in part to

reversal of the deconditioning effect of their related sedentary

lifestyle, this clinical trial suggests that ITE can benefit CMT

patients especially in their functional performance and subjective

perception of pain and fatigue. Moreover, the improvement observed at

the end of the first supervised period ITE was maintained after the

second unsupervised home period, although there was no further

improvement in performance and tolerance.