A new University of Florida study has found that lifting weights can improve muscle strength and quality of life for people afflicted with MS.

According to Lesley White, a professor in the department of applied physiology and kinesiology at University of Florida and the study’s lead author, this is the first published report using a conventional weight-training program for patients with MS. “We designed an exercise program to develop muscle strength because MS causes muscle weakness and fatigue, which contribute to a declining cycle of fitness, loss of mobility, and decreased quality of life.”

The study was published in the December issue of the Journal Multiple Sclerosis and showed that after 8 weeks of supervised resistance training on conventional gym equipment, eight patients with MS had stronger muscles, could walk better, and reported less overall fatigue and disability.

The results of this preliminary study have led the National MS Society to fund an ongoing follow-up study that tracks 10 patients with MS undergoing more intensive strength training for 16 weeks. The new study includes more total repetitions, thereby increasing the overall training load on the subjects, and compares the results with a control group of 10 subjects of similar age and body type. According to the author, future work will probe for mechanisms at the cellular level associated with changes in muscle strength.

MS can cause debilitating fatigue and muscle weakness often greatly limiting physical activity and resulting in secondary effects such as obesity and depression. Patients with MS also can have painfully heightened sensitivity to heat. Previous studies of the effects of aerobic exercise on patients with MS showed promise, but a concurrent increase in body temperature could also exacerbate their pain. “Consequently, many doctors have been hesitant to prescribe exercise regimens as treatment, thinking it could do more harm than good,” White points out.

Strength training, however, does not increase body temperature like aerobic exercise does. The regimen of the study included no more than 30 minutes of supervised weight training twice a week for 8 weeks, focusing on the legs, abdomen, and lower back. Each subject’s initial weight load was determined from a pre-study strength test. Once subjects could do 15 repetitions consistently, they progressed to higher weight resistance.

“Fatigue is a huge factor for people afflicted with MS,” White said. “Because no previous data on MS patients doing strength training with conventional gym equipment have been reported, we wanted to be a little conservative in our approach and therefore designed a relatively low-intensity program. But the results of this preliminary study suggest that MS patients are capable of adapting to resistance training favorably, and may be able to tolerate more intensive training.”

Jennifer Lee, president of the North Florida Chapter of the National MS Society is excited about the study. “MS is such a complicated disease, which is why papers like this are so important. I feel like it will be our responsibility that this goes out to the doctors that we work with.” (Available from: http://www.mslog.com)

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 at 6:13 pm and is filed under All Articles, Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.