Full Title: Responses to Exercise Differ For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients with Fibromyalgia.
Authors: Cook DB, Stegner AJ, Nagelkirk PR, Meyer JD, Togo F, Natelson BH
Publication: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Publication Date: 12 December 2011
1 Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin - Madison
2 Research Service, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital
3 School of Physical Education, Sport & Exercise Science, Ball State University
4 Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo
5 Pain and Fatigue Study Center, Beth Israel Medical Center.
Abstract
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are chronic multisymptom illnesses with substantial clinical and diagnostic overlap. We have previously shown that when controlling for aerobic fitness and accounting for comorbid FM, CFS patients do not exhibit abnormal cardiorespiratory responses during maximal aerobic exercise compared to healthy controls, despite differences in pain and exertion.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the present study was to examine cardiac and perceptual responses to steady-state, submaximal exercise in CFS patients and healthy controls.
METHODS
Twenty-one CFS patients [13 CFS with comorbid FM (CFS+FM)] and 14 controls completed 20 minutes of submaximal cycling exercise. Impedance cardiography was used to determine cardiac responses during exercise. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), perceived exertion (RPE) and leg-muscle pain were also measured. Data were analyzed using a doubly-multivariate, repeated-measures MANOVA to model the exercise response.
RESULTS
There was a significant multivariate Time by Group interaction (p < 0.05). The CFS+FM group exhibited an exercise response characterized by higher stoke index, ventilatory equivalents for oxygen and carbon dioxide and RPE, lower SBP and similar HR responses.
CONCLUSIONS
The present results extend upon our previous work with maximal exercise and show that CFS and CFS+FM differ in their responses to steady-state exercise. These resultshighlight the importance of accounting for comorbid conditions when conducting CFS research, particularly when examining psychophysiological responses to exercise.
PMID: 22157881
View the abstract in PubMed.
