Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Cardiopulmonary Responses and Predictors of Change in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease.
Amanda L Penko, Nicole M Zimmerman, Michael Crawford and 2 others
PMID 33453190WHAT IT FOUND
Eight weeks of cycling did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption, but both exercise groups improved submaximal aerobic capacity compared to controls.
Younger participants with lower baseline fitness who cycled at higher speeds showed the greatest gains.
Key findings
01There were no significant effects of group on peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak), although the forced exercise group showed a 5% increase.
02Both exercise groups achieved significantly higher oxygen consumption at the ventilatory threshold compared to the control group.
03Lower age, high exercise cadence, and lower baseline VO2 peak were the strongest predictors of improved peak oxygen consumption.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The eight-week duration is relatively short for evaluating cardiopulmonary changes. The study did not measure physical activity levels outside the supervised sessions, so changes could be influenced by unmonitored behavior. Direct effects on activities of daily living were not evaluated. A significant portion of participants (40%) showed chronotropic incompetence, which may have limited the potential gains in aerobic capacity.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institutes of Health (Extramural).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that forced exercise is superior to voluntary exercise. The two exercise groups did not differ from each other in their improvements in submaximal aerobic capacity, and the primary outcome of peak oxygen consumption was null for both.