Indoor Cycling As a Treatment for Parkinson's Disease?
Given the toll coronavirus has taken on our collective psyche, the team here at Mcycle have recently taken a keen interest in how regular exercise affects mental health. Recent research led us to an article on the Bicycling.com website, an article discussing indoor cycling as a treatment for Parkinson's disease.
Apparently, researchers in the Netherlands studied a group of 130 adults with early-stage Parkinson's to see if exercise had any impact on their symptoms. The study was motivated, in part, by previous studies showing a link between regular exercise and brain activity. What the researchers found was simultaneously surprising and confirming.
Exercise and Symptom Reduction
Each of the test subjects was between the age of 30 and 75. They were split into two groups. The first group rode stationary bikes at home while the second group performed stretching exercises. Both groups exercised for 45 minutes, three times per week, for six months. Both were also supplied with a motivational mobile app to track results and reward them for their participation.
The test group were given stationary bikes outfitted with software and displays that allowed them to simulate different kinds of terrain, participate in virtual races, and play a specially designed video game similar to Pac-Man. As for the results, they speak for themselves.
The test group demonstrated "significantly fewer" symptoms including fewer tremors and muscle control issues. The control group – those that only did the stretching exercises – were actually worse off at the end of the six-month period.
Symptoms were measured based on a standard scale by which Parkinson's sufferers grade how they are feeling. The control group actually scored four points higher than they did at the start of the study. That means they exhibited worse symptoms. On the other hand, the test group improved their scores by up to three points.
As Effective As Drugs
The researchers were led to conclude that regular indoor cycling is as effective as most of the drugs now used to treat Parkinson's symptoms. They mentioned the fact that Parkinson's drugs are deemed effective if they improve a patient's score by three points.
Their results were similar to previous studies that showed Parkinson's patients saw as much as a 35% improvement in symptoms when cycling, at a high rate of speed, for 40 minutes per session three times per week. As for why cycling seems to work, it could be in the aerobic nature of the exercise.
Previous studies have shown that regular exercise improves blood flow. Cardio exercise is designed to do just that. It works the heart and gets it pumping. That sends more blood through the system and, with it, more nutrients and oxygen. The Dutch researchers concluded that the combination of cycling and using digital interfaces helped to encourage greater neural function and fewer Parkinson's symptoms.
Cycling Classes for Everyone
We are by no means Parkinson's experts. Still, we think this is great news. If indoor cycling is as effective as drugs for treating Parkinson's symptoms, we are all for cycling classes as a physician-approved alternative. We encourage you to talk to your doctor about indoor cycling classes if you are suffering from early-stage Parkinson's or any other form of dementia.
In the meantime, know that we offer cycling classes for everyone. Our beginner classes are designed for those who are just getting started. They are just challenging enough to get the heart pumping but not so demanding that new students end up hating them. From there you can move on to intermediate and advanced classes. If you'd like to know more, give us a call.