There have been limited investigations into exercise in sickle cell disease (SCD). In the general population, health is reflected in general physical fitness. It is unclear if the same associations are seen in people with SCD. Here, we report a cross-sectional assessment of two important measures of physical fitness, muscle strength and cardiorespiratory endurance, in adults with SCD. A total of 29 adults with SCD (aged 24-62 years; 72% female) completed cardiopulmonary and muscular strength testing using a cycle ergometer and an isokinetic dynamometer. Adults with SCD had lower median values for cardiorespiratory endurance (the median [interquartile range, IQR] peak oxygen uptake [VO2 ] 16.1 [6.3] vs. 42.65 [11.3] ml/kg/min, p < 0.001) and knee strength (median [IQR] flexor torque 26.91[22.5] vs. 55.6 [22.7] Nm, p < 0.001) compared to controls and predicted values. Interestingly, there was a very positive association between muscular strength and peak VO2 values for adults with SCD (r = 0.53, p = 0.003) suggesting these values may be useful in determining cardiopulmonary health.
Keywords: haemoglobin disorders; muscle strength; physical fitness; sickle cell disease.
© 2022 British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.