title: Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular flexibility and strength in first-episode schizophrenia patients: use of a standardized fitness assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study determined the fitness status and examined potential correlates of fitness in first-episode schizophrenia patients using a standardized fitness test protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  A certified fitness instructor administered the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) fitness test to 70 recent-onset schizophrenia participants within 3 months of entry into the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Percentile ranks of scores on muscular strength and endurance, muscular flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness in our sample were all below the 50th percentile when compared with national norms in the United States. As expected, patients with a higher body mass index and those who smoked had poorer cardiorespiratory fitness. A non-significant trend indicated that patients with a longer duration of illness had worse cardiorespiratory fitness. Exposure to antipsychotic medication was unrelated to cardiorespiratory fitness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that physical fitness is impaired and might decline over time in first-episode schizophrenia patients, but this needs to be confirmed in a longitudinal study.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Aftercare Research Program, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, USA. ddoorly@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gretchen-Doorly
authors.forename: Robin E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kite
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Subotnik
authors.forename: Nicole R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Detore
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nuechterlein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents