Resistance training effectiveness in patients with CMT: exercise recommendations

September 27, 2005

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004 Aug;85(8):1217-23. THIS IS A REPOST FROM

LAST YEAR FOR OUR NEW MEMBERS.

Resistance training effectiveness in patients with Charcot-Marie-

Tooth disease: recommendations for exercise prescription.

Chetlin RD, Gutmann L, Tarnopolsky M, Ullrich IH, Yeater RA.

Department of Human Performance & Applied Exercise Science, School of

Medicine, West Virginia University, town, WV 26506-9139, USA.

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.

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