Augmented exercise in the treatment of deconditioning from major burn injury

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of a 12-week exercise program in producing greater improvement in aerobic capacity in adult burn survivors, relative to usual care. Design: Randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Setting: Burn center. Participants: A population-based sample of 35 adult patients admitted to a burn center for treatment of a serious burn injury. Intervention: A 12-week, 36-session, aerobic treadmill exercise program where work to quota (WTQ) participants intensified their exercise according to preset quotas and work to tolerance (WTT) participants continued to their tolerance. Participants completed a maximal stress test at baseline and 12 weeks to measure physical fitness. Main Outcome Measure: Maximal aerobic capacity. Results: The WTT and the WTQ exercise groups both made significant improvements in aerobic capacity from baseline to 12 weeks (t=-3.60, P <=.01; t=-3.17, P <=.01, respectively). The control group did not (t=-1.39, P=.19). WTT and WTQ participants demonstrated significantly greater improvements in aerobic capacity in comparison to the control group members (F=4.6, P <=.05). The WTT and WTQ groups did not differ significantly from each other with regard to their respective improvements in aerobic capacity (F=.014, P=.907). Conclusions: The aerobic capacity of adult burn survivors can be improved with participation in a structured, 12-week exercise program after injury.