Resistance training effectiveness in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: recommendations for exercise prescription.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of a 12-week, home-based resistance exercise program on strength, body composition, and activities of daily living (ADLs) in men and women with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and to design an ADL-based resistance exercise prescription template.


METHODS
Double-blind, placebo-controlled study.


METHODS
Testing in a university setting; exercise in patients' homes.


METHODS
Twenty CMT patients who volunteered.


METHODS
Subjects progressively strength trained at home 3 d/wk for 12 weeks.


METHODS
Timed ADLs, isometric strength, and body composition.


RESULTS
Absolute strength was greater in men with CMT in only 4 of 10 baseline measures (P<.05), but not when strength was normalized by lean mass. Training compliance was 87% with no gender differences. At baseline, women had 80% of normal strength in 4 of 10 measures, whereas men did not achieve 80% of normal strength in any measure. After training, women had 80% of normal strength in 8 of 10 measures, whereas men only had 80% of normal strength in 1. Training volumes and strength change scores showed no gender differences. ADLs improved after training with no gender differences (P<.05). An exercise prescription template was developed by using chair-rise time to estimate starting weights for lower body and supine rise for upper body.


CONCLUSIONS
Resistance training improved strength and ADLs equally in men and women. We designed an exercise prescription recommendation, based on ADL performance.
Chetlin
Robert D
RD
Department of Human Performance & Applied Exercise Science, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-9139, USA. rchetlin@hsc.wvu.edu
Gutmann
Laurie
L
Tarnopolsky
Mark
M
Ullrich
Irma H
IH
Yeater
Rachel A
RA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001823:Body Composition; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000592:standards; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000592:standards