Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a lung disease that presents itself with scarring in the lungs. There are a number of causes. The disease is difficult to treat and there is no cure.
Exercise seems to help slow the progression of the disease. It may limit and improve common symptoms that are associated with this health problem. “Exercise is generally recommended for people with chronic lung disease including pulmonary fibrosis. Although exercise will not improve your lung condition, it does improve cardiovascular conditioning and the ability of your muscles to use oxygen.” (cpff.ca).
“Exercise is a well-documented safe and effective intervention for prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic deadly lung disease associated with severe signs and symptoms. In the short term, supervised exercise programs have demonstrated clinical benefits in improving exercise capacity, dyspnoea and quality of life in patients with IBF ”(Vainshelborim 2016).
One of the issues that presents with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is the redistribution of muscle fibers in different parts of the body. The body is comprised of two types of muscle fibers, slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers also known as oxidative fibers are endurance fibers and are for the most part active during aerobic activities. Fast-twitch fibers also known as glycolytic fibers are strength and power fibers. They are responsible for strength and power movements. People with severe lung disease may see an increase in endurance fibers (type 1 slow-twitch fibers) in the diaphragm compared to control groups. A study by Levine and colleagues (1997) reported “that the proportion of type 1 fibers averages 64% of total fibres in the diaphragms of patients with severe COPD whereas the proportion of these fibers averages only 45% of total fibre number in control diaphragms” (Kim 2008). In addition, patients with severe COPD may see a decrease in type 1 endurance fibers in their quadriceps muscles and an increase in their type 2 fast-twitch fibers. “An early report by Whitton and colleagues (1998) demonstrated that type 1 fiber proportion declines by 20%, whereas the proportion of type 11B fibers increases by 10% in people with severe COPD” (Kim 2008). (See Note below).
The potential changes in muscle fiber content will make it more difficult for people with severe IPF to see improvement in their condition unless certain exercises that specifically deal with these issues are included in their exercise program. Because of this potential unusual redistribution of muscle fibers, exercises that address these issues should be considered.
In order to see improvement a multi-faceted exercise program is advisable. People with this health issue should consult with their physician before commencing with an exercise program.
Note: Although the above mentioned studies referenced in this article pertain to muscle fiber distribution in COPD patients, there appears to be similarities to these types of distributions in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis patients. No studies were available that confirm this type of fiber redistribution in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis patients when this article was written.
References: cpff.ca: Exercise and Pulmonary Fibrosis.
PudMed.gov: Exercise training in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: is it of benefit? Vainshelborim, B, 2016.
PudMed.gov: Skeletal muscle dysfunction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Kim, HC, 2008.