Abstract des Autors

Mucoviscidosis (cystic fibrosis), the most frequently detected genetically determined metabolic disease in Caucasians, is characterised by the gradual development of pathological lesions localised to the respiratory tract which are accompanied by deterioration of physical fitness. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of 3-week physical training on the selected spirometric and ergospirometric measurements in mucoviscidosis patients with special emphasis on the duration of the disease. Forty one patients were divided into two different age groups: group A, consisting of 21 patients aged 7 to 12 years, and group B, comprised of 20 patients aged 18 to 24 years. The applied physical load during the training was individually adjusted to each patient's anaerobic metabolism threshold (AT) level and ranged from 60 to 90% of the maximum individual oxygen intake (VO2max). In both groups of the patients pre-training results showed a decrease of parameters characterising pulmonary function and physical fitness with the relative values (ml/kg/min) of such indices as the one-minute maximum pulmonary ventilation (VE) and oxygen uptake (VO2max) at the AT level being significantly lower in group B than in group A (P<0.02 and P<0.009 for VE and VO2, respectively). After 3 weeks of the training, there was a statistically significant (P<0.02) elevation of the vital pulmonary capacity (VC) as well as of the ergospirometric measurements, but these effects were not significantly different between the two groups of the patients. Negative correlation (r=-0.64, P<0.001) between the initial pre-training level of VO2max (ml/kg/min) and the magnitude of the improvement of this parameter (VO2max% improvement) indicates that the lower the initial level of VO2max the higher the efficiency of training. No direct correlation were detected between the quality of the improvement and the patients' age. The results justify the necessity of the application of exercise to patients with cystic fibrosis irrespectively of their age and duration of the disease. Verf.-Referat