Strength improvement after 3months of resistance training among Parkinson's disease patients

Objectives.– To assess the feasibility and the effects of a strengthening program for people with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods.– Fourteen patients with Hoehn and Yahr stage [1] < III of PD were allocated to either 24 sessions of strength training (ST group; n = 8) or to a control group (C group; n = 6) for 3 months. Concentric knee muscle strength and a maximal cycling incremental test were performed at baseline and after training. Training consisted of progressive resistive exercises on leg press, leg extension, leg curl, between 50 and 80% of 1RM and was completed by non-instrumented exercises for trunk and upper limbs muscles. Anxiety, depression and quality of life were assessed using questionnaires. An Anova for repeated measures was used for statistical analysis.

Results.– Six patients of the ST group (75%) fully completed the program. There were significant “group by time” effects for all knee muscles strength measures of less involved side (P < 0.05). A significant “group by time” effect was also found for knee flexors of the most involved side, but only at angular speed of 180°/s (P = 0.03). Patients of ST group also increased maximal aerobic power (+13%) whereas patients of C group decreased their performances (–9%; “group by time” effect, P = 0.04). No changes in anxiety, depression or quality of life could be highlighted.

Conclusions.– The increase of some strength measures in ST group showed that progressive strength training counteracts strength decrease among people with Parkinson's disease. Strengthening also had a positive effect on maximal aerobic power.