Comparison of energy expenditure of individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the sitting posture on the ground and in water

Abstract

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most frequent childhood dystrophies, affecting cardiopulmonary functions and walking ability. One of the main symptoms is fatigue, which is caused by altered muscle metabolism related to energy expenditure (EE). Aquatic physiotherapy is a therapeutic modality that facilitates the maintenance of this posture because of immersion on the body. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to compare the EE on the ground and water of individuals with DMD through oxygen consumption in the maintenance of sitting posture. The individuals were in a sitting position on the ground and in the water for 20 min for the assessments. The variables peripheral oxygen saturation, heart rate, maximum expiratory pressure, maximum inspiratory pressure, forced vital capacity, respiratory quotient (RQ), and oxygen consumption per kilogram of body weight (VO₂ /kg) were compared, adopting a significance of 5 %. No difference was found between medians and quartiles of RQ when comparing the two environments. The same was observed for VO₂ /Kg values on the ground and in water. The data from this study demonstrate that the EE of individuals with DMD did not change when maintaining a sitting posture on the ground and in water.

Keywords: Aquatic therapy; Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Energy expenditure; Hydrotherapy; Sitting posture.