Effects of an additional resistance training intervention in hemodialysis patients performing long-term ergometer exercise during dialysis.
Masahiro Noguchi, Yuta Youhira, Miho Tanaka and 4 others
PMID 35221513WHAT IT FOUND
After 12 weeks, adding rubber-band resistance before dialysis to ongoing supine ergometer exercise was linked to better 6-minute walk distance in 18 hemodialysis patients.
Other strength and balance measures were not marked as improved.
Key findings
01The 6-minute walk distance improved significantly after the combined period of ongoing supine ergometer exercise plus added resistance exercise.
02Only the 6-minute walk distance was marked as significantly different between the second and third physical function assessments.
03In multiple regression, the average supine ergometer driving distance during the added period was the only exercise-record variable associated with the later 6-minute walk distance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 18 of 23 recruited participants completed the study, and 5 withdrew during the added-training period. The study was a pilot with a small sample, and the authors state that more participants are needed. There was no randomisation or separate control group; the same participants were compared across periods, so the added resistance training cannot be separated from continued supine ergometer exercise or time. Participants were volunteers recruited by open posting from 132 hemodialysis outpatients, so selection may differ from all dialysis patients. The analysis did not adjust for dialysis history or age group. Some participants had a prolonged second period because of coronavirus restrictions, and these delays were included in the analysis. The paper measured several physical function outcomes, and only the 6-minute walk distance was marked as improved.
Declared interests
No funding was received for this study, and the authors declare no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that adding resistance training alone caused the walking improvement. This was a small before-after pilot in which participants continued supine ergometer exercise, there was no control group, and only the 6-minute walk distance was reported as changed.