Lauren Kosten

Slowed Exercise-Onset Vo2 Kinetics During Submaximal Endurance Exercise in Subjects With Multiple Sclerosis:

Background. Low physical activity levels in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) may reduce skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Rehabilitation strategies might be altered by a measure of capacity that did not require invasive techniques or maximal exercise testing. For this purpose, we measured exercise onset and offset oxygen uptake (Vo2) kinetics during endurance exercise. Objective. This study compared exercise-onset and -offset Vo2 kinetics in mildly affected persons with MS with healthy matched participants. Methods. From 38 MS patients who had a mean Expanded Disability Status Scale of 3.1 and 16 healthy participants, exercise-onset and -offset Vo2 kinetics (mean response time [MRT]) were determined during two 6-minute submaximal bouts of exercise separated by a 6-minute recovery interval. Blood lactate, heart rate, expiratory volume, and Borg ratings of perceived exertion were assessed during exercise and compared between groups. Relationships between clinical characteristics and MRT were assessed. Results. During exercise, blood lactate, heart rate, and expiratory volume did not differ between groups (P > .05), but exercise-onset MRT was significantly slower in MS versus healthy participants (P = .007). Exercise-onset MRT was independently related to having MS (P = .02). Exercise-offset MRT was not different between groups or was independently related to having MS (P > .05). No independent relationships between clinical characteristics of MS and exercise-onset or -offset MRT were found. Conclusions. Exercise-onset Vo2 kinetics during submaximal endurance exercise are significantly slowed in mildly disabled persons with MS, suggesting low skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Using mean response time testing, rehabilitation interventions for this reduction in exercise capacity can be assessed and targeted.

Impact of 24 Weeks of Resistance and Endurance Exercise on Glucose Tolerance in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis.

BackgroundRecently, the authors reported an elevated prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), compared with matched healthy controls, indicating metabolic defects that may increase comorbidity. MS also leads to a more inactive lifestyle, increasing the likelihood to develop fat accumulation, muscle wasting/weakness, and exercise intolerance. In other populations, these health complications can partly be reversed by physical exercise. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of a mild-to-moderate–intensity exercise program on glucose tolerance, ranging between normal and impaired, in persons with MS. DesignPersons with MS (mean expanded disability status scale, 3.3 ± 0.2; mean age, 48 ± 15 yrs) were randomized to an exercise group (n = 29) or a nonexercise control group (n = 15). Glucose tolerance, as well as muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and body composition to validate the applied exercise program, was determined in both groups at baseline and after 6, 12, and 24 wks of mild-to-moderate–intensity combined endurance and resistance training. ResultsNo effects on blood glucose and serum insulin were detected. However, 6 mos of exercise improved muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and lean tissue mass within the intervention group as compared with baseline. In the control group, no changes were detected. ConclusionTwenty-four weeks of mild-to-moderate–intensity combined endurance and resistance training was not able to improve glycemic control in this cohort of persons with MS. Future research is warranted to investigate the influence of higher exercise intensities on glucose tolerance, in an attempt to remediate metabolic deficits and to decrease the prevalence of comorbidities in MS.

Possible morphological substrates in the pathogenesis of arthritis

Acknowledgements: The authors thank Mrs. Jeanine Santermans, BioMed Research Centre, University of Hasselt, for her invaluable technical support during this study. Andrej Bezmaternykh and Youssef El Jerrari, BSc Students of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hasselt, and Yasmina Azdud, Sebastiaan Deckers, Emiel Ectors, Erwin Leysen and Shamaila Naeem, MSc Students of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hasselt, are thanked for their keen interest during the project.