Table 3 Improved aerobic capacity and endurance performance after 12 weeks of endurance exercise in myositis patients.

Endurance cycling test ( n = 9)

Time to exhaustion (minutes)

15.4 + 5.1

33.7 + 13.3

P <0.01

Lactate (mM)

10.3 ± 2.5

6.5 ± 1.8

P <0.01

Percentage maximum heart rate

88 ± 8

88 ± 5

n.s.

Borg rating (6 to 20):

   Peripheral exertion

19 ± 1

17 ± 2

n.s.

   Central exertion

19 ± 1

17 ± 2

n.s.

VO ₂ max test ( n = 7)

VO₂ max (l min^-1)

1.63 ± 0.30

1.91 ± 0.30

P <0.01

Power at VO₂ max (W)

119 ± 25

138 ± 26

P <0.001

Mitochondrial enzyme activities ( n = 3)

Citrate synthase

(μmol (g dw^-1) min^-1)

42.9 ± 2.0

76.8 ± 1.4

P <0.001

β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase

(β-HAD; μmol (g dw^-1) min^-1)

33.5 ± 6.5

50.1 ± 1.9

P <0.05

Control group (CG)

Endurance cycling test ( n = 6)

Time to exhaustion (minutes)

13.7 ± 4.5

14.5 ± 4.8

n.s.

Lactate (mM)

9.9 ± 3.1

11.3 ± 3.5

n.s.

Percentage maximum heart rate

97 ± 2

95 ± 3

n.s.

Borg rating (6 to 20):

   Peripheral exertion

18 ± 2

18 ± 3

n.s.

   Central exertion

17 ± 2

17 ± 2

n.s.

VO ₂ max test ( n = 5)

VO₂ max (l min^-1)

1.46 ± 0.30

1.32 ± 0.21

P <0.05

Power at VO₂ max (W)

110 ± 16

102 ± 18

n.s.

Mitochondrial enzyme activities ( n = 5)

Citrate synthase

(μmol (g dw^-1) min^-1)

52.8 ± 7.3

50.3 ± 13.0

n.s.

β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase

(β-HAD; μmol (g dw^-1) min^-1)

43.8 ± 10.1

36.7 ± 10.5

n.s.