High-intensity resistance training in newly diagnosed sarcoidosis- an exploratory study of effects on lung function, muscle strength, fatigue, dyspnea, health-related quality of life and lung immune cells

Background: High-intensity resistance training is unexplored in untreated patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of high-intensity resistance training on lung function, muscle strength, fatigue, dyspnea, health-related impairments, and lung immune cells. Methods: Eleven untreated patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis performed high-intensity resistance training at an intensity of 80% of 1 Repetition Maximum (RM) twice a week and daily inspiratory muscle training at regular intensity for 12 weeks. Assessment with spirometry, chest X-ray, questionnaires, and BAL (bronchoalveolar lavage) cells was performed before and in close adjacent to completed training. A final third assessment except bronchoscopy was performed at an average 5 months after the training period. Results: The training was well tolerated and muscular strength increased significantly while fatigue, dyspnea, and health-related impairments decreased, though not significantly in all measures. Mean percentage of lung lymphocytes decreased (p = 0.006). Conclusions: High-intensity resistance training and inspiratory muscle training at regular intensity in patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis led to improvements in muscular strength without adverse events and seems to be a non-invasive attractive way to improve fatigue, dyspnea, and quality of life. Analysis of lung immune cells possibly indicated a decreased inflammatory activity. These results provide a basis for larger randomized trials.