What was the purpose of the study?

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often experience muscle wasting and weakness which can impair physical function and quality of life. Exercise can be an effective method of maintaining muscle mass and strength, however little research has been done into how to best prescribe exercise to patients with CKD. Previous research by our group indicates that the response to exercise within muscles of kidney patients is different from that of the general population. This study aimed to further understand the intramuscular response of patients with kidney disease to exercise.

What did it involve and what did we hope to find out?

This study involved three visits:

1. The first session involved body composition measurements, a blood test, physical function tests, and an ultrasound scan of a muscle in the thigh. We also conducted some leg strength tests and practice of using the exercise equipment for the next sessions.

2. During the second visit participants did some leg exercises and measurements were taken both before and four hours after exercise. These measurements involved taking saliva and blood samples, as well as a muscle biopsy.

3. The final session involved one last set of the same measurements (blood, saliva, and muscle).

   
   These measurements were also taken from individuals without kidney disease following the same 3 sessions. From this work, we hoped to understand what is happening in the muscles, blood, and saliva of someone with kidney disease after they have exercised, and compare it to the response of someone without kidney disease.

Progress

The study was conducted between November 2017 and July 2020. In total 2425 participants were recruited to the study.

Evidence

Details of the trial can be found here. An open-access article of the results from the questionnaire data returned as part of this study can be accessed here.