High-intensity interval training is more effective than standard home exercise at improving fitness in patients with inflammatory muscle disease.
A new eBioMedicine study from Karolinska Institutet reports that high-intensity interval training leads to greater gains in physical fitness and muscle endurance than standard home-based exercise in people recently diagnosed with inflammatory muscle disease.
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are rare autoimmune diseases that cause muscle weakness and fatigue. Standard treatment combines medication with light to moderate home-based exercise, but this strategy offers limited improvements in aerobic capacity. To explore a more effective option, researchers at Karolinska Institutet investigated whether high-intensity interval training (HIIT) could deliver greater benefits.
The study involved 23 patients recently diagnosed with IIM, recruited from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm and Uppsala University Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one performed HIIT on a stationary bike three times a week for 12 weeks, while the other followed a moderate-intensity exercise program at home. Researchers assessed aerobic fitness, muscle endurance, and markers of disease activity before and after the training period.
Noticeable Benefits from HIIT
The findings showed that the HIIT group improved aerobic capacity by an average of 16 percent, while the home exercise group saw only a 1.8 percent increase. Improvements in muscle endurance were also larger with HIIT, and muscle biopsies revealed enhanced mitochondrial function, a key factor in energy production. Disease activity did not change in either group, indicating that the higher-intensity training was safe. Researchers found no signs that exercise increased inflammation or led to muscle damage.
“People with IIM often experience muscle weakness and limited endurance. Our findings demonstrate that high-intensity interval training is safe and significantly enhances muscle performance and aerobic fitness. Improved fitness may reduce cardiovascular risk, while patients benefit from greater stamina and independence. This approach could serve as a valuable addition to medication in boosting physical capacity and quality of life,” says Kristofer Andreasson, researcher at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.
The researchers note that the study involved a small number of participants and that additional research is required to validate the results and evaluate long-term outcomes.
Read the original article on: SciTechDaily
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