A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF ECCENTRIC AND CONCENTRIC EXERCISE TRAINING ON HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSE, FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, AND FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Purpose: The aim was to compare the hemodynamic response, functional capacity, and fatigue in eccentric and concentric exercise training (EET and CET, respectively) in MS. Methods: Twenty-two patients with MS were included in the study. Individuals were randomly assigned as EET (downhill walking with-10% slope) and CET (uphill walking with +10% slope) exercise on a treadmill. The training was applied for eight weeks, 30 min/day, 2 days/week. Hemodynamic responses were measured, and double-product values were calculated before and after the sessions. Perceived fatigue was evaluated using the Modified Borg Scale (MBS). Functional capacity was evaluated using 6-minute walk test (6MWT) before and after the training. Fatigue was assessed using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). Results: In the EET group, heart rate at session 5, 9, 12, 13, and 16, systolic blood pressure session 7 and 13, diastolic blood pressure at session 2, 5, 6, 11, 12, and, double product at session 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16, and oxygen saturation session 6 and 8 were found to be significantly lower (p<0.05). In the EET group, the MBS score was lower at session 13 (p<0.05). In both groups, a significant increase in 6MWT distance and a significant decrease in FSS and FIS scores were observed (p<0.05). The 6MWT distance, FSS, and FIS scores were similar between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: The EET may be advantageous since it causes less fatigue due to lower hemodynamic responses and energy consumption in MS. Further study with homogeneous gender distribution is needed.