Exercise in muscle disorders: what is our current state?

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Neuromuscular disorders

Background:

• Exercise enhances muscle and cardiovascular function, making it a valuable adjuvant therapy for myopathies.
• This review focuses on recent human studies (post-2016) investigating exercise interventions in inherited myopathies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated overview of recent research on exercise in inherited myopathies.
• To synthesize findings on the safety, efficacy, and disease-specific considerations of exercise interventions.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent human exercise studies in inherited myopathies, including retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.
• Analysis of emerging exercise modalities and assistive devices.

Main Results:

• Exercise is generally safe and well-tolerated in patients with inherited myopathies.
• Recent studies indicate exercise improves functional outcomes, but effects vary by exercise type and disease.
• High-intensity exercise may be efficient for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy; exercise might accelerate dysferlinopathy progression.

Conclusions:

• Exercise is a beneficial treatment for inherited myopathies, improving functional outcomes.
• Exercise prescriptions must be individualized based on the specific myopathy and patient condition.
• Emerging technologies like exoskeletons offer new training opportunities for severely affected patients.