Hamilton, ON (April 11, 2022) – A study led by McMaster University researchers has found that regular cycling can greatly improve mobility in patients with myotonic dystrophy (MD), a genetic disease that causes muscle degeneration.
Senior author Mark Tarnopolsky said that cycling for 35 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks led to a 32 per cent increase in overall fitness in people with MD.
Patients who took part in the study also saw a 1.6-kilogram increase in their muscle mass and a two per cent reduction of body fat. They were also able to walk an extra 47 metres in six minutes, when tested by researchers at the end of the 12-week trial.
Tarnopolsky’s team recruited 11 patients with MD to examine how effective cycling was in restoring and maintaining their physical health. Researchers also studied the underlying molecular mechanisms through which exercise strengthens the skeletal muscles, which can be severely weakened by MD.
“Exercise really is medicine – we just need to get the message out,” said Tarnopolsky, a professor of the departments of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster.
“Myotonic dystrophy is a progressive condition that will impair your mobility and can put you in a wheelchair. There is no cure for it and only regular exercise helps you achieve better function.”
Tarnopolsky said that some patients with MD are even advised by their doctors not to exercise, for fear of making their condition worse, but that is now proven false.
The study authors say previous research on mouse models showed a range of similar physiological benefits from regular exercise.
Tarnopolsky said that MD is the most commonly diagnosed type of muscular dystrophy in adults, and the second most prevalent of all muscular dystrophies.
MD’s main symptoms include severe skeletal muscle atrophy, general muscle weakness, reduced lung capacity and impaired heart function. Other symptoms may include cataracts, endocrine disorders including diabetes and gastro-intestinal disorders. Roughly 19,000 Canadians live with either MD or another type of muscular dystrophy, Tarnopolsky said.
“MD itself is really a form of accelerated aging,” said Tarnopolsky.
The study was published recently in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
External funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Editors:
A photo of Mark Tarnopolsky is attached.
For information, please contact:
Veronica McGuire
Media Relations
Faculty of Health Sciences
McMaster University
289-776-6952
Journal
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Method of Research
Randomized controlled/clinical trial
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Aerobic exercise elicits clinical adaptations in myotonic dystrophy type 1 patients independent of pathophysiological changes
Article Publication Date
1-Apr-2022
COI Statement
Conflict of Interest: Exerkine Corporation is a biotechnology company that develops and commercializes therapies based on supplements, exercise-derived factors (‘exerkines’), and extracellular vesicles to treat genetic disorders, chronic diseases, and aging. MAT is the founder, CEO, and CSO of Exerkine Corporation but there are no current 24 patents or plans for products related to myotonic MD during the study data collection and analysis or at the time of paper submission. It is possible that products could be created in the future by Exerkine Corporation for therapeutic intervention in patients with myotonic MD or other myopathies. Praxis Genomics is a CLIA and CAP certified medical molecular diagnostic laboratory. PLN is the founder, owner and CMO of Praxis Genomics.