The effect of systematic exercise training on skeletal muscle strength in a patient with advanced inclusion body myositis: A case study.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an inflammatory and degenerative autoimmune disease that targets specific muscle groups, causing severe muscle weakness. Exercise training is often contraindicated in myopathies as it may aggravate muscle damage and inflammation. Although some reported positive outcomes in muscle strength of early diagnosed IBM patients undergoing resistance training, there remains uncertainty as to whether exercise could be beneficial and safe in advanced stage IBM. Thus the aims of this research were to evaluate the safety and response of 16-weeks supervised resistance training on the health and muscle performance of an elderly participant diagnosed with advanced stage IBM. It was shown that the training had no adverse effects on the health of the patient. Muscle strength measured at eight weeks and on completion of the intervention, remained the same as at baseline. In conclusion, the exercise programme was found to be safe and seemed to maintain muscle strength in a patient with advanced stage IBM.

Greater performance impairment of black runners than white runners when running in hypoxia.

This study aimed to compare the response of performance-matched black and white runners during maximal and sub-maximal running in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. 14 well-trained runners (8 black, 6 white) performed 2 incremental maximal exercise tests and 2 fatigue resistance tests at 21% O2 (normoxia) or 14% O2 (hypoxia). Respiratory parameters, heart rate (HR), lactate concentration ([La(-)]) as well as arterial saturation (SpO2) were measured. Enzyme activities and myosin heavy chain content (MHC) were also measured. White runners reached a significantly greater peak treadmill speed and a higher HRmax than black runners in hypoxia (p<0.05). Additionally, White runners achieved a greater time to fatigue than black runners (p<0.05), with black runners displaying a greater decline in performance in hypoxia compared to normoxia (20.3% vs. 13.4%, black vs. white, respectively). However, black runners presented lower [La(-)] and higher SpO2 than white runners in hypoxia (p<0.05). Black runners had a higher proportion of MHC IIa and higher lactate dehydrogenase activity (p<0.05). The greater performance impairment observed in black runners in hypoxia suggests a greater performance sensitivity to this condition, despite the maintenance of physiological variables such as SpO2 and [La (-) ] within a smaller range than white runners.

Specific muscle adaptations in type II fibers after high-intensity interval training of well-trained runners.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) forms an important component of endurance athletes' training, but little is known on intramuscular metabolic and fiber type adaptations. This study investigated physiological and skeletal muscle adaptations in endurance runners subjected to 6 weeks HIIT. Eighteen well-trained endurance athletes were subjected to 6 weeks HIIT. Maximal and submaximal exercise tests and muscle biopsies were performed before and after training. Results indicated that peak treadmill speed (PTS) increased (21.0 ± 0.8 vs 22.1 ± 1.2 km/h, P<0.001) and plasma lactate decreased at 64% and 80% PTS (P<0.05) after HIIT. Cross-sectional area of type II fibers tended to have decreased (P=0.06). No changes were observed in maximal oxygen consumption, muscle fiber type, capillary supply, citrate synthase and 3-hydroxyacetyl CoA dehydrogenase activities. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity increased in homogenate (P<0.05) and type IIa fiber pools (9.3%, P<0.05). The change in the latter correlated with an absolute interval training speed (r=0.65; P<0.05). In conclusion, HIIT in trained endurance runners causes no adaptations in muscle oxidative capacity but increased LDH activity, especially in type IIa fibers and in relation to absolute HIIT speed.