NCT03418376

Carnosine Loading and Periodized Training in MS and HC

The Impact of Carnosine Loading and Rehabilitation Therapy on Exercise Capacity in Multiple Sclerosis.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 45 (actual)
• Sponsor: Hasselt University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Increasing evidence favours exercise therapy as an efficient tool to counteract inactivity related secondary symptoms in MS. Furthermore, exercise therapy may affect MS-associated muscle contractile and energy supply dysfunctions. So far, low to moderate intensity exercise rehabilitation has shown to induce small but consistent improvements in several functional parameters. High intensity exercise training in MS seems to further improve this. However, although results are promising, impairments in both muscle contraction and energy supply probably attenuate therapy outcome. In keeping with the above described physiological role of skeletal muscle carnosine and because muscle carnosine content may be lower in MS, the primary aim of the present project is to investigate whether carnosine loading improves exercise therapy outcome (exercise capacity, body composition) and performance in MS. If the latter hypothesis can be confirmed, muscle carnosine loading could be a novel intervention to improve exercise capacity and muscle function in this population.

Detailed description

Pilot data from the (co-)applicants' laboratories suggest that EAE rats (animal MS model) and MS-patients suffer from significantly reduced muscle carnosine levels compared to healthy counterparts. The potential of β-alanine supplementation to elevate muscle carnosine content has been shown in healthy volunteers. Furthermore, the investigators have recently investigated β-alanine and carnosine supplementation in EAE animals. In MS, this has not been investigated yet. Therefore, the researchers' next step is to investigate the impact of β-alanine intake on exercise performance in MS patients. The investigators hypothesize that oral β-alanine supplementation improves exercise therapy outcomes in MS patients. So far, it is clear that β-alanine intake enhances exercise capacity of untrained, trained and aged individuals by improving contractile properties, maintaining higher intracellular energy levels and optimizing training adaptations. Because early fatigue of contracting musculature during rehabilitation is the predominant cause of exercise cessation, postponing exercise-induced fatigue by β-alanine supplementation will be clinically very relevant (improving exercise therapy efficiency). Consequently, the investigators aim to research the ergogenic potential of β-alanine intake in MS rehabilitation and hypothesize that β-alanine supplementation optimizes exercise therapy outcome (exercise capacity, muscle contractile characteristics) in this population.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Exercise Therapy
• Dietary Supplement

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Beta-alanine supplementation	The supplementation protocol of β-alanine (Etixx® Omega Pharma Belgium NV) involves oral intake of 4 x 800mg (3.2g/day29, 43) daily with at least 2h apart of slow-release β-alanine during the first 12 weeks. After this loading period, subjects will receive a maintenance dose of 2 x 800mg (1.6g/day) β-alanine for the remaining study duration.
OTHER	Exercise intervention	The exercise training program (6 months) involves 3 week cycles (week I-III). During week I, subjects will perform high volume moderate intensity cardiovascular cycle training (3x/week). Twice a week, subjects perform 3h training sessions (70-80% HRmax\*) and once a week a 1.5h session will be executed (80-90% HRmax). During week II, subjects will perform low volume maximum intensity interval cycle training (3/w). High intensity interval cycle training (HIIT) will consist of 3x maximal sprints (90-100% HRmax) of 1.5min, interspersed with 3min rest intervals. A 5min standardized warming up and 5min cooling down will be performed. Week III involves a recovery week where subjects will perform one training session of 1.5h at an exercise intensity of 70-80% HRmax and one session of HIIT.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-02-01
• Primary completion: 2017-10-30
• Completion: 2017-12-30
• First posted: 2018-02-01
• Last updated: 2020-04-20
• Results posted: 2020-04-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Belgium