Abstract
Background: Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with sarcoidosis. Despite lacking evidence on whether high-intensity interval training (HIIT) will aggravate fatigue, moderate-intensity exercise is often recommended. This study aimed to investigate whether a single session of HIIT would affect fatigue differently from a single session of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Methods: Forty-one patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis were recruited to a cross-over study. All patients completed one treadmill session of HIIT (85% of peak heart rate (HRpeak)) and one of MICT (70% of HRpeak). Fatigue was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale 0–100 mm, before (T0), after (T1), and 24 hours after (T2) each exercise session. Paired sample t-test was used to compare changes in fatigue from T0 to T1 and from T0 to T2 between HIIT and MICT. Results: No statistically significant difference in fatigue levels was found between HIIT and MICT, either at T1 (3.6 (13.5) and 1.4 (13.5)) or at T2 (8.2 (17.0) and 2.1 (17.1)). Conclusions: A single session of HIIT did not affect fatigue differently than a single session of MICT. These preliminary findings support the need for further research on the long-term effect of HIIT on fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis.
Highlights
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder affecting any organ
Patients (>18 years) with pulmonary sarcoidosis diagnosed in accordance with accepted guidelines [1], who attended a four-week exercise-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) between April 2016 and June 2017 were eligible for this study
high-intensity interval training (HIIT): high intensity interval training, moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT): moderate intensity continuous training. This is the first study that has examined the development of sarcoidosis-related fatigue after two exercise sessions with different intensities but with the same total amount of energy expended in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis
Summary
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder affecting any organ. The lung is involved in more than 90% of the patients [1]. Sarcoidosis-related fatigue is a complex symptom reported by patients, and objective measurements such as lung function tests and chest radiography correlate poorly with patients’ perceptions of fatigue [3]. Only four studies have explored the effects of an exercise program on sarcoidosis-related fatigue in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis [5,6,7,8]. This study aimed to investigate whether a single session of HIIT would affect fatigue differently from a single session of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Conclusions: A single session of HIIT did not affect fatigue differently than a single session of MICT. These preliminary findings support the need for further research on the long-term effect of HIIT on fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis. All background data were collected at the first or second day of the PR program, and all patients responded to the questionnaires before the exercise tests
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