Resistance training effectiveness in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: recommendations for exercise prescription.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the effects of a 12-week, home-based resistance exercise program on strength, body composition, and activities of daily living (ADLs) in men and women with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and to design an ADL-based resistance exercise prescription template.

DESIGN:

Double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

SETTING:

Testing in a university setting; exercise in patients' homes.

PARTICIPANTS:

Twenty CMT patients who volunteered.

INTERVENTION:

Subjects progressively strength trained at home 3 d/wk for 12 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Timed ADLs, isometric strength, and body composition.

RESULTS:

Absolute strength was greater in men with CMT in only 4 of 10 baseline measures (P<.05), but not when strength was normalized by lean mass. Training compliance was 87% with no gender differences. At baseline, women had 80% of normal strength in 4 of 10 measures, whereas men did not achieve 80% of normal strength in any measure. After training, women had 80% of normal strength in 8 of 10 measures, whereas men only had 80% of normal strength in 1. Training volumes and strength change scores showed no gender differences. ADLs improved after training with no gender differences (P<.05). An exercise prescription template was developed by using chair-rise time to estimate starting weights for lower body and supine rise for upper body.

CONCLUSIONS:

Resistance training improved strength and ADLs equally in men and women. We designed an exercise prescription recommendation, based on ADL performance.

• Authors: Robert D Chetlin, Laurie Gutmann, Mark Tarnopolsky, Irma H Ullrich, Rachel A Yeater
• Journal: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation (Arch Phys Med Rehabil) Vol. 85 Issue 8 Pg. 1217-23 (Aug 2004) ISSN: 0003-9993 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15295743 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Body Composition
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (complications, physiopathology, rehabilitation)
• Double-Blind Method
• Exercise Therapy (methods, standards)
• Female
• Home Care Services (standards)
• Humans
• Isometric Contraction
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Muscle Weakness (etiology, prevention & control)
• Oxygen Consumption
• Practice Guidelines as Topic
• Prescriptions (standards)
• Sex Characteristics
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Weight Lifting (standards)