Quadriceps muscle strength after training with a cycloergometer in patients on hemodialysis

Abstract

Introduction: Functional disability is common in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially in those on hemodialysis. Muscle strength can be evaluated by a dynamometer; however, no study using this technique on the quadriceps of patients undergoing hemodialysis was found in literature. Objective: To assess the effects of cycloergometer training on the quadriceps muscle strength of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. Method: This was a clinical trial including 46 patients, both men and women, over 18 years old who had been undergoing hemodialysis for more than six months and signed an informed consent form. Patients were allocated into two groups: intervention group (n = 22) and control group (n = 20). The intervention group underwent intradialytic training in a physical therapy protocol with the cycloergometer for two months, whereas the control group, in turn, was only reevaluated two months after the initial evaluation. All patients were assessed for demographic data at baseline and, two months later for quadriceps muscle strength by standardized dynamometry and with the use of a rigid belt and suction cups. Results: A significant increase was detected in quadriceps muscle strength in the right and left lower limbs in the intervention group when compared with the control group. Conclusion: Quadriceps muscle strength improved after patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis underwent training with the cycloergometer.