Exercise improves albumin fractional synthetic rate in chronic hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether exercise augments the improvements in fractional synthetic rate (FSR) of albumin observed with nutrition alone.

DESIGN

Randomized crossover study. Each patient randomly participated in two protein metabolism kinetic studies using primed-constant infusion of (13C) leucine 2 h before, during and 2 h after hemodialysis. Plasma enrichments of (13C) leucine and (13C) ketoisocaproate were examined to determine the FSR of albumin.

SETTING

General Clinical Research Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

SUBJECTS

Five chronic hemodialysis (CHD) patients.

INTERVENTIONS

Intra-dialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) with or without exercise.

RESULTS

Exercise performance during hemodialysis significantly improves the FSR of albumin beyond what is observed with IDPN alone (26.2+/-3.1% per day versus 17.7+/-1.9% per day, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Exercise improves albumin fractional synthetic rate beyond what is observed with IDPN alone in the acute setting in CHD patients.