BACKGROUND: Patients with MS (pwMS) often experience resting ventilatory anomalies. Ventilatory function during exercise and impact of long-term training intervention remains however uncertain. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the ventilatory function during exercise and impact of a 6-month training intervention in pwMS. DESIGN: Combination of a cross-sectional (part 1) and randomized controlled trial (part 2). SETTING: University rehabilitation facility. POPULATION: Caucasian patients with MS and healthy controls. METHODS: In part 1, the ventilatory function during submaximal endurance exercise was compared between pwMS (n = 37) and healthy participants (n = 15). In part 2, pwMS were then randomly assigned to a 6-month training intervention (n = 16) or usual care (n = 11). Following training intervention, ventilatory function during exercise was re-evaluated. RESULTS: Despite comparable relative exercise testing intensities between groups in part 1, significantly elevated steady-state exercise dead space/tidal volume ratio, O2 uptake and CO2 output equivalent, end-tidal O2 pressure, ratings of perceived exertion and lowered end-tidal CO2 pressure and O2 pulse was observed in pwMS (p < 0.05). The degree of ventilatory dysfunction during exercise correlated significantly with ratings of perceived exertion and blood lactate content (p < 0.05). In part 2, despite an improved exercise tolerance (based on reductions in heart rate, blood lactate content and ratings of perceived exertion during exercise at similar workload) after a 6-month training intervention, ventilatory dysfunction remained present during endurance exercise (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with MS experience a ventilatory dysfunction during endurance exercise, which is related to worse exercise tolerance. This ventilatory anomaly remains present after long-term training intervention.

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