Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Physiological Parameters of Rehabilitative Stroke Patients

Aim: Stroke constitutes a considerable cause of morbidity and mortality in any society. Despite the increasing effect of stroke, information about the prophylactic effect of aerobics exercise on the health disorder in Ghana is rare. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise (AE) training on rehabilitative stroke patients considering their body mass index (BMI), resting systolic blood pressure (RSBP), resting diastolic blood pressure (RDBP), resting heart rate (RHR) and resting blood oxygen saturation (RSp02).
Study Design: Quasi-experimental research design with pre-post test was employed.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at physiotherapy clinic of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. The AE training and measurement were conducted from November, 2013 to April, 2014 in the gymnasium of the physiotherapy clinic.
Methodology: The study comprised of fifty rehabilitative stroke [partial (36, 72.0%) and permanent (14, 28.0%)] patients with mean age of 54.04±13.07 years attending physiotherapy clinic. Age ranged from 26 to 80 years. The patients [male (27, 54.0%) and female (23, 46.0%)] went through moderate intensity, two sections a week of AE training for two months. Forty (80.0%) of the participants has experience in exercise programme while ten (20.0%) has none prior to the AE training programme. Physiological parameters of BMI, RSBP, RDBP, RHR and RSp02 were measured two days before and after the AE training period, and analysed.
Results: The BMI (24.89±3.56 vs 23.11±2.89; t=9.237, p<0.05), RSBP (131.48±23.43 vs 120.94±7.42; t = 3.468, p<0.05), RDBP (87.70±16.03 vs 79.50±6.26, t = 3.577, p<0.05), RHR (84.22±8.47 vs 74. 22±3.80; t = 8.879, p<0.05) and RSp02 (93.44± 5.14 vs 96.56±1.98; t =-4.905, p<0.05) significantly changed after two months of AE training. There is significant difference in gender-based analysis on the effect of AE training on BMI (22.36 ±2.70 vs23.99±3.00; t=-2.058, p<0.05) and RDBP (81.63±5.83 vs 77.00± 5.92; t=2.779, p<0.05). There was no significant differences in the effect of AE training on physiological parameters analysed based on degree of stroke and exercise experience.
Conclusion: AE training was effective on the BMI, RSBP, RDBP, RHR and RSp02 of rehabilitative stroke patients irrespective of gender and degree of stroke. Significance attention should be given to aerobic exercise in the rehabilitating process of stroke patients to minimize adverse affects of some drugs on their blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation.