The safety and feasibility of high-force eccentric resistance exercise in persons with Parkinson's disease

Objective: To examine the effect of high-force eccentric resistance exercise on measures of muscle damage and injury in persons with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD). Design: Before-after trial. Setting: Tertiary care center clinical laboratory. Participants: Ten persons with PD (Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale, stage 1-3). Intervention: Participants trained 3 days a week for 12 weeks on an eccentric ergometer, performing high-force eccentric resistance exercise with bilateral lower extremities. Main Outcome Measures: Serum creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, muscle pain scores, and isometric force production were measured before, during, and after training. Results: Mean CK levels did not differ and did not exceed the threshold of muscle damage at any time point (P=.17). Muscle visual analog scale scores were low and only differed at week 2 (P=.04). Participants were highly compliant, whereas total negative work and isometric force increased over time (P=.02, P=.006, respectively). Conclusions: Persons with mild to moderate PD can safely and feasibly participate in high-force eccentric resistance training. The data we present provide a basis for future investigations of the efficacy of this type of training on muscle size, strength, and mobility in persons with PD.