Combined training in patient with aids: improved quality of life and preserved BDNF

This study aims to investigate the impact of combined exercise training on selected health status measures and quality of life in patients with AIDS Thirty AIDS patients were randomly divided into two groups of combined exercise training on one hand and control on the other. Combined training consisted of aerobic and resistance exercises for a duration of 12 weeks (three sessions/week). Aerobic training consisted of walking or running on a treadmill with increasing intensity from 40 to 65% of maximal heart rate for 30–60 min. Resistance sessions were made of leg press, lateral pull down, biceps curl and chest press, with 40–65% of 1-RM, two to four sets of 12–20 repetitions. Blood samples were taken from patients around 24 h before the first and 72 h after the last training sessions and cluster of differentiation four cells (CD4), serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and viral load levels as well as the quality of life were assessed The results showed that although combined exercise training did not affect CD4 and viral load, quality of life increased significantly in the training group (p = 0.04). Moreover, BDNF significantly decreased in the control group but not in the training group (p = 0.03) These findings suggest that combined exercise training over 3 months resulted in increased quality of life while preventing reductions in BDNF levels in AIDS patients, while no changes in viral load and CD4 count have been noticed