Multiple Sclerosis
Conditions
Keywords
Resistance training, Strength training, Training adaptations, CNS
Brief summary
The purpose of the present investigation is to determine whether MS patients can tolerate and benefit from heavy progressive resistance training. A second purpose is to determine both neural and muscle morphological adaptations to heavy progressive resistance training.
Detailed description
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are characterized by reduced muscle strength and functional capacity. For MS patients, improvements in muscle strength and thereby functional capacity, would have the potential to make both the daily living easier and to extend the time living independently. Attempts to improve muscle strength and function include the application of physical training, although the general advice to MS patients for many years has been to avoid participation in physical training. It has now been demonstrated that endurance training at low to moderate intensity is well tolerated by MS patients, but it only induces modest improvements in both muscle strength and functional capacity. Heavy progressive resistance training (HPRT) has proven to be the most effective means to improve muscle strength and functional capacity during daily activities in healthy older people. However, the effects of HPRT have not been investigated in randomised control trials in MS patients.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALResistance training
Intervention group: 12 weeks of resistance training for the lower extremity. Control group: No intervention - 12 weeks of normal daily living
Sponsors
Sonderborg Hospital
The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society
University of Aarhus
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Clinical diagnosis of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis according to the McDonald criteria * Expanded Disability Status Scale Score between 3,0-5,5 * Be able to walk at least 100m * Be able to train twice a week at the University
Exclusion criteria
* Alcohol abuse, Alzheimer's and pacemaker * Comorbidities like cardiovascular-, respiratory-, orthopaedic or metabolic diseases * Having had an attack in a period of 8 weeks prior to the start of the intervention period * Having an attack during the intervention period * Pregnancy * Systematic resistance training in a period of 3 months prior to the start of the intervention period. * Training adherence of less than 85%.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Muscle strength (isokinetic testing) | Before and after the intervention |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Muscle biopsies from m. vastus lateralis | Before and after the intervention |
| % Fat (skinfold) | Before and after the intervention |
| Blood samples (immunologic parameters) | Before and after the intervention |
| Functional capacity (Six minute walk test, 10m walk test, chair rise, stair climbing) | Before and after the intervention |
| HRQOL: SF36 | Before and after the intervention |
| Depression: Major Depression Inventory (MDI) | Before and after the intervention |
| Surface EMG from m. vastus lateralis during MVC | Before and after the intervention |
| Fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale - FSS, Modified Fatigue Inventory - MFI-20) | Before and after the intervention |
Countries
Denmark
Outcome results
None listed