Training for muscle diseases

In mitochondrial myopathy aerobic exercise combined with strength training may increase submaximal endurance capacity. In myotonic dystrophy, polymyositis, dermatomyositis and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy strength training may not offer any benefit.

A Cochrane review included 5 RCTs with a total of 168 subjects.

• In mitochondrial myopathy (one trial, n=18) combined strength training and aerobic exercise was compared with no training for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in dynamic strength measures between the groups. Exercise duration and distance cycled in a submaximal endurance test increased significantly in the training group: the mean differences in time and distance cycled till exhaustion between groups were 23.7 minutes (95% CI 2.63 to 44.77) and 9.7 km (95% CI 1.51 to 17.89), respectively.
• In polymyositis and dermatomyositis (one trial, n=14) aerobic exercise training was compared with no training. There were no significant differences between the groups for primary and secondary outcome measures.
• In myotonic dystrophy (2 trials, n=71) the effect of strength training was compared with no training for 24 weeks. There were no significant differences between training and non-training groups for primary or secondary outcomes.
• In facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (one trial, n=65) strength training was compared with no training, both combined with albuterol or placebo, for 52 weeks. Only a +1.17 kg difference (95% CI 0.18 to 2.16) in dynamic strength of elbow flexors in favour of the training group was found.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Voet NB, van der Kooi EL, Riphagen II et al. Strength training and aerobic exercise training for muscle disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;7():CD003907. .