New research points to the value of exercise for older people on hemodialysis (HD). Hemodialysis is a process where a person is connected to a machine which filters the blood. This procedure is a requirement for those living with severely impaired kidney function.

With hemodialysis, recipients have to go to a facility three to four times a week and most remain relatively immobile for several hours. Researchers looked at 157 HD recipients with a mean age of 66.8 years and a body mass index of 27 kg/m. 2. 81 were an exercise group while 76 were a control group. Exercise was conducted three days a week, one hour before the scheduled HD session with twelve exercises for 24 weeks.

Exercises included chest presses, squats, unilateral rowing, unilateral knee extensions and unilateral knee flexing. Additionally, there were those who further engaged in unilateral shoulder press, hip thrust, unilateral biceps curl, unilateral hip adduction, unilateral hip abduction, unilateral elbow extension with dumbbells, and seated calf raise.

Researchers found a major reduction in inflammation in those participants in the exercise group. They also found tumor necrosis factors and interleukin-6 decreased. Meanwhile, they saw interleukin-10 increase. Hepcidin significantly decreased by 7.9 ng/mL, with these levels increased by 0.2 ng/mL in the control group. Iron bioavailability significantly increased by 22.2 μg/dL in the exercise group. But it was found to decrease by 1 μg/dL in the control group.