Aerobic exercise has many benefits—benefits that could be very helpful to people with multiple sclerosis (MS), who often struggle with fatigue and weakness. However, it is unknown whether people with MS (particularly those with higher levels of disability) can attain the optimal intensity/duration to receive the benefits. A recent study has examined whether a new method called forced-rate exercise (FE) can be used to help individuals with MS benefit from aerobic exercise. This method increases the pedaling rate during cycling to achieve higher exercise intensity.
The 12-week study included 22 participants with MS, who were randomly assigned to either the FE group (12 people) or a voluntary exercise (VE) group (10 people). Each group participated in 45-minute cycling sessions twice a week, targeting 60% to 80% of their maximum heart rate.
Eighteen participants completed the study. On average, they exercised for about 42 minutes at around 65% of their maximum heart rate, with a pedaling rate of 67 revolutions per minute. Both groups showed improved treadmill walking speeds, increasing from 0.61 to 0.68 meters per second. The FE group saw a slightly greater improvement (0.09 m/s) compared to the VE group (0.03 m/s). Notably, the participant with the highest disability level could tolerate FE but not VE.
The study concludes that intensive aerobic exercise is attainable for people with MS, though those with higher disability might benefit more from FE to reach the needed exercise intensity. Further research is needed to explore the effects of FE across different levels of MS disability.
Assistant Professor Sarah Simmons, MD, PhD, was the lead author on this study, along with Susan Linder, DPT, PhD and other colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic. The study was published May 15 in the International Journal of MS Care.