Article

There is growing evidence that speed-based exercise training benefits people with
Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study investigates the effects of a single
session of volitional, high-speed cycling intervals on a battery of timed
functional tests selected for their relevance to the symptom of bradykinesia. Ten
subjects with PD (Hoehn-Yahr stage </= 3.0) participated in a familiarization
session and three test sessions. Functional testing occurred before and after 30
minute sessions in which subjects performed no exercise (NO), pedaled at their
preferred cadence (PC), or performed 20, 15-second intervals of high-speed
low-resistance cycling (HS-LR). In addition to testing the exercise effects in a
within-subjects design, we provide test-retest reliability data, minimal
detectable change scores, and correlations among the selected functional tests.
Despite the relatively low dose of speed-based exercise, HS-LR elicited
significant (p < 0.05) improvements in the four square step test and 10 m walk
test. Excepting reaction times, there was high reliability and adequate
sensitivity to detect moderate and small differences. Strong correlations among
tests of mobility inform the future selection of measures in the experimental
design. In addition to what is known about continuous exercise sessions involving
high-speed exercise, the present results suggest that brief intervals of HS-LR
bicycling are promising and should be examined in a longer duration exercise
program.

Langue : ANGLAIS