Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to upper- and lower-extremity exercise in men with idiopathic Parkinson's disease

School of Physical Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston 77030-2897, USA.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. The aerobic capacity of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been characterized. This study (1) compared maximal exercise performance in individuals with and without PD, (2) compared exercise performance during upper- and lower-extremity exercise, and (3) described submaximal exercise responses. SUBJECTS. Eight men with PD (PD group) and 7 men without PD (control group) participated. METHODS. Subjects performed a lower-extremity ergometer test (LE test) and an arm-cranking ergometer test (AC test). Peak oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, and power, as well as submaximal values of oxygen consumption and heart rate for each power level, were recorded. RESULTS. No differences were found between the groups for either test. Peak power was less for the PD group than for the control group for both tests. Submaximal heart rate and oxygen consumption were higher for the PD group than for the control group. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION. We conclude that individuals with mild to moderate PD can be tested with both exercise protocols to a peak exercise capacity and that there are differences in upper- and lower-extremity peak power and submaximal responses between persons with and without PD.

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