Movement saves time. At least for a dialysis. Prof. Dr. med. Martin Halle and his team from the Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation were able to verify this.
Their study shows: During dialysis, that is a cleansing of the blood, for instance in the event of kidney failure, the detoxification is accelerated when patients are active. And this is even by up to around 30 to 45 minutes. Halle and his team first published their spectacular results online in the renowned British Medical Journal. "Through publication in such a top professional magazine, the presentation of results is accessible to more individuals - naturally also internationally. In addition, this naturally reflects the significance of our study," says Prof. Halle.
Dialysis: Three appointments scheduled per week for four hours each
For dialysis, patients must normally visit a doctor three times a week. Each appointment then takes about four hours. The patients generally lie at rest while they are connected to a dialysis unit by way of a needle and a tube with a liquid. They pass the time, for example, with a breakfast or in front of the television. "Our idea was this total of twelve hours could simply be better made use of if the patients were to perform mild exercise tasks," explains Halle.
The effects were examined on a group of 46 test subjects who were followed up for up to five years. The participants carried out two different programs. One group performed mild strength training of the arm which was not involved in the dialysis while the other group performed an endurance exercise where the patient in a prone position pedaled a type of stationary bicycle against a light resistance.
Prof. Halle: "A saving in time of 30 minutes is enormous."
The main result to be seen is that these activities could be carried out without any medical problems and long-term for longer than five years. In addition, the muscle strength and quality of life are improved. Toxins are filtered out better during the training through the increased cardiovascular circulation. The saving in time of 30 minutes is enormous and this is achieved alone through the mild stimulation resulting from the training," explains the Vice Dean of the TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences.
At the same time, the results show new dimensions as to how the use of movement can be integrated into therapies. "A next step will be to clarify what intensities have which effects," demands Halle. The Chief Medical Director of the Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation believes "there are a great number of interesting topics in this field for both physicians and sport scientists. Our goal must be to carry out good studies with randomized designs involving physical training, and these should be performed in all age groups.
To the Homepage of the Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation
Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Martin Halle
Center for Prevention and Sports Medicine
Klinikum rechts der Isar
Technische Universität München
Uptown Munich, Campus C
Georg-Brauchle Ring 56
80992 Munich
Telephone: +49 (0)89 289 24441
Email: info(at)sport.med.tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz