Project R-9072

Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation: does combined low and high intensity exercise therapy prevent health-related comorbidities and improve exercise capacity and muscle strength? (Research)

Exercise therapy has become an important part of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment. So far, a multitude of higher intensity exercise therapy (HIT) studies have shown substantial improvements in a variety of MS related functional disabilities such as reduced exercise capacity and muscle strength. However, MS also results in an inactivity-related physiological profile and thus impaired glycaemic control, blood lipid profile and body composition. In older, healthy and obese subjects and in type II diabetics, HIT improves these health-related factors but, surprisingly, not in MS. In other populations another exercise strategy -notably low intensity physical activity (LIPA, walking/standing)- is also able to improve glucose tolerance, blood lipids and body composition. Consequently, LIPA may be an interesting new approach in MS rehabilitation. In a series of two consecutive randomized controlled studies, this PhD. project will therefore (1) first explore the impact of LIPA on glycaemic control and lipid metabolism in MS. Hereafter, (2) we will use a combination of both LIPA and HIT to enhance both exercise capacity and muscle strength as well as glucose tolerance, blood lipids and body composition. This perfectly fits within the research scopes of the REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center (UHasselt, MS expertise) and NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (Maastricht University, LIPA expertise).

01 October 2018 - 31 October 2020