Short-term prospective study of prescribed physical activity in kidney transplant recipients

Regular physical exercise plays a role in improving cardiovascular and muscular fitness in many metabolic diseases. This study aims to verify any possible benefits, including the eventual influence on any associated risk factors, in a group of kidney transplant recipients after a short period of personalized training programs with mixed exercises. In January 2013, at the Sports Medicine Center of the University of Florence, Italy, we began studying a group of 20 kidney transplant recipients. After 6 months of exercise, they underwent Cardiopulmonary Test (CPET), ECG, skin fold, bioimpedance analysis and stress test for the lower and upper limbs. EF increased significantly from 63.38 ± 4 to 67.30 ± 5.9 with p < 0.05; the anaerobic threshold improved from 14.48 ± 6.3 to 20.24 ± 3.7 (p < 0.05) with good stress tolerance, estimated by CR10 scale; weight decreased significantly (70.06-65.03 kg) as did skin folds at pectoral level (p < 0.002). Upper limb muscular strength increased significantly (p < 0.005). Regular mixed exercise is a proposed program in post-transplant syndrome with the expectation of improving cardiovascular performance and enhancing exercise tolerance. Muscle strength improves with physical fitness with consequent reduction of risk factors linked to visceral fat. Proof of an eventual positive impact on other complex aspects associated with post-transplant metabolic syndrome will require a longer follow-up.