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PoleStriding Exercise and Vitamin E for Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease.
CLINICAL SCIENCES
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 35(3):384-393, March 2003.
Abstract:
COLLINS, E. G., W. E. LANGBEIN, C. OREBAUGH, C. BAMMERT, K. HANSON, D. REDA,
L. C. EDWARDS, and F. N. LITTOOY.
Purpose:
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of PoleStriding
exercise (a form of walking that uses muscles of the upper and lower body in
a continuous movement similar to cross-country skiing) and vitamin E ([alpha]-tocopherol)
to improve walking ability and perceived quality of life (QOL) of patients
with claudication pain secondary to peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Methods: Fifty-two subjects were randomized into four groups: PoleStriding
with vitamin E (N = 13), PoleStriding with placebo (N = 14), vitamin E without
exercise (N = 13), and placebo without exercise (N = 12). The dose of vitamin
E was 400 IU daily. Only the PoleStriding with vitamin E and PoleStriding with
placebo groups received PoleStriding instruction and training. Assignment to
vitamin E or placebo was double blind. Subjects trained three times weekly
for 30-45 min (rest time excluded). Individuals in vitamin E and placebo groups
came to the laboratory biweekly for ankle blood-pressure measurements.
Results:
Results of this randomized clinical trial provide strong evidence that PoleStriding
significantly (P < 0.001) improved exercise tolerance on the constant work-rate
and incremental treadmill tests. Ratings of perceived claudication pain were
significantly less after the PoleStriding training program (P = 0.02). In contrast,
vitamin E did not have a statistically significant effect on the subjects’ ratings
of perceived leg pain (P = 0.35) or treadmill walking duration (P = 0.36).
Perceived distance and walking speed (Walking Impairment Questionnaire) and
perceived physical function (Rand Short Form-36) improved in the PoleStriding
trained group only (P < 0.001, 0.022 and 0.003, respectively).
Conclusion:
PoleStriding effectively improved the exercise tolerance and perceived QOL
of patients with PAD. Little additional benefit to exercise capacity was realized
from vitamin E supplementation.
(C)2003The American College of Sports Medicine
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