Intramuscular and Inflammatory Responses to Acute Exercise in Chronic Disease (I-RACE)
Principal Investigator: Professor Alice C. Smith
Study start date: November 2017
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease where the kidneys don’t work as well as they should. People with CKD often experience problems with their muscles such as weakness and soreness which can make daily activities, like walking and climbing stairs, more difficult.
Exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle and is increasingly recognized as an important aspect in the treatment of CKD and other health conditions. Resistance (strength training) exercise is particularly useful for improving muscle size and strength. However, the way the muscle react to exercise may be different in CKD to the general population. An improved understanding of how cells inside the muscles respond to exercise and how blood sugar interacts with this will lead to improved methods of preventing loss of muscle mass and strength, directly improving outcomes for patients. The aim of this study is to investigate how muscle cells react to exercise.
The I-RACE study has two parts. In both parts we study people with CKD and also people who do not have CKD for comparison. We also study people with “dysglycemia”, a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal.
In Part A, people with and without CKD complete a survey about their experiences of muscle problems and how this affects their day to day life.
In Part B, participants with CKD, people with dysglycemia and people without either of these conditions (controls) are asked to perform a single exercise session which involves lifting weights with the legs. Participants provide blood samples and a small piece of muscle tissue (a biopsy) taken from the thigh before the exercise, 4 hours later and 48 hours after that. Cells and factors in the blood and muscle are compared to assess the effect of the exercise session on the muscle.
This study is now closed for recruitment and data is being analysed ahead of publication.
For more information, contact the Kidney Lifestyle team on 0116 2584346 or email kidney.exercise@uhl-tr.nhs.uk