Abstract
Objective
To provide a quantitative synthesis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining
the effect of exercise training on muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in persons
with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Data Sources
Three electronic databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, were searched
for all relevant articles published up until October 2014.
Study Selection
Keywords included exercise or aerobic or strength or resistance training or cardiorespiratory and multiple sclerosis. Trials examining the effect of exercise training on muscular and/or cardiorespiratory
fitness parameters were included.
Data Extraction
The initial search yielded 1501 articles; of these, 62 were reviewed in detail, and
20 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and provided enough data to compute effect sizes
(ESs) (Cohen d). The meta-analyses was conducted using a random effects model to compute the overall
or mean ES per fitness parameter.
Data Synthesis
The mean ES was .27 (SE=.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], .17–.38; z=5.05; P<.001) for muscular fitness outcomes and .47 (SE=.09; 95% CI, .30–.65; z=5.4; P<.001) for cardiorespiratory fitness outcomes. The weighted mean ES was not heterogeneous
for muscular (Q13=11.09, P=.60, I2=.00) or cardiorespiratory (Q9=7.83, P=.55, I2=.00) fitness outcomes.
Conclusions
The cumulative evidence supports that exercise training is associated with changes
in muscular (small in magnitude) and cardiorespiratory (moderate in magnitude) fitness
outcomes in persons with MS. Such an indication of magnitude is important for clinical
research and practice by providing an evidence-based estimate of the actual benefit
that exercise training confers on physiological fitness.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
CI (confidence interval), ES (effect size), MS (multiple sclerosis), PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), RCT (randomized controlled trial), Vo2peak (peak oxygen consumption)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 16, 2016
Footnotes
Disclosures: R.W.M. reports a financial relationship with EMD Serono, Acorda Therapeutics, and Biogen Idec, outside the submitted work. The other authors have nothing to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
