Aerobic Versus Resistance Exercises on Liver Enzymes Following Burn Injuries

Sixty patients who have partial thickness burn with burned body surface area (BBSA) about 30% to 50% will participate in this study after their release from intensive care unit. Their ages will be ranged from 20 to 45 years. The participants will be selected from Orabi hospital and randomly distributed into two equal groups. In this study the patients will be randomly assigned into two equal groups (30 patients for each group):

1.1(a) Group A (Aerobic exercise group): This group includes 30 burned patients who will receive aerobic exercises 8 weeks (3times/week) in form of (treadmill device) in addition to their physical therapy program (splinting, stretching ex. and ROM ex.) and medical treatment.

1.1(b) Group B (Resistance exercise group): This group includes 30 burned patients who will receive resistance exercises 8 weeks (3times/week) by using dumbbells and sand bags in addition to their physical therapy program (splinting, stretching ex. and ROM ex.) and medical treatment.

3.1-Measurement procedures:

• Serum blood draws will be taken by certified technicians with the participant in a seated position.
• Spectrophotometry is the measurable analysis technique using the electromagnetic spectra. It deals with the ranges of wavelengths such as near ultraviolet, near infrared and visible light. A device called a spectrophotometer is used to measure the absorbance or transmittance through a liquid sample. The spectrophotometer takes a measurement at a specific wavelength and it is possible to choose any wavelength in the spectrophotometers register as the double beam sends a beam through a blank reference sample and one through the sample to be measured (Nilsson, 2010).

3.2-Therapeutic procedures: 3.2.a- Treadmill device for aerobic exercise: During the 8-week intervention period, an aerobic training (AT) program of submaximal intensity will include a 45-minute session three times a week (135 min/week) under the supervision of the researcher. Aerobic exercise will consist of three phases: warm-up, training and cool down. At the beginning of exercise session, subjects will have a ten-minute warm-up. The warmup protocol will be slowly running on treadmill. Then, the warm-up phase will be followed by the training phase. At baseline, the training phase will be commenced with two 15-minute running on treadmill at 60% of their maximal heart rate (MHR) in the first week and increased to two 15-minute running on treadmill at 75% MHR per week by the final week of training. By the end of exercise session, subjects will have a five-minute cool down. The cool down protocol will be slowly running on treadmill (Khalighfard et al., 2011).

Maximum heart rate will be calculated using the formula: (HRMax =220- age) (Chaudhary et al., 2010).

3.2.b- Dumbbells and sand bags for resistance exercise: Resistance training will be performed during 8-weeks with thrice weekly sessions on nonconsecutive days. The program will consist of seven exercises: triceps press, biceps curl, lat pull down, calf raise, leg press, leg extension and sit-ups using dumbbells and sand bags. Each session will last approximately 45 minutes and consist of a 5-minute warm-up with stretching following by resistance exercise that will be done as a cir¬cuit, ending with 5-minute cool down. The 1 repetition maximum (1RM) is measured at baseline and follow¬ing the intervention. Initially, participants will do two circuits using 50% of their 1RM and repeat them 10 times for the first and second weeks, progressing to two circuits, using 60% of their 1RM and repeat 10 times for the third and fourth weeks. In fifth and sixth weeks, participants will do three circuits using 60% of their 1RM and repeat 10 times. In the last two weeks, patients will do three circuits using 70% of their 1RM and repeat 10 times. A 90-second rest will be allowed between sets of exercises (Hallsworth et al., 2011).