{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T12:15:31Z","timestamp":1787314531895,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,6]],"date-time":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1630886400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital","award":["SKH-8302-106-NDR-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SKH-8302-106-NDR-01"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There is a lack of guidelines for physical exercise in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). A few pilot studies have shown that exercise can be safely applied to patients with MG. However, how physical exercise affects body composition, disease function, and disease severity remains unknown. In this prospective study, we enrolled 34 patients with MG with stable condition and evaluated the disease severity, physical fitness parameters, and body composition (measured using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)), before and after conducting a 24-week physical exercise regimen of aerobic and resistance strength training. The outcomes were measured by DXA, quantitative MG (QMG) score, quality of life score, handgrip strength and walking speed. During the training regimen, participants were free to decide how many exercise sessions per week and regularly reported their weekly exercise time. The physical exercise program was well tolerated by the participants, the parameters of the QMG score and handgrip strength improved, and participants\u2019 body composition did not change significantly. The high exercise group experienced greater deterioration in muscle mass in the arms, but exhibited a greater improvement in forced vital capacity, walking speed, and symptom severity. The group with low QMG scores improved more in terms of physical fitness, including walking speed. These findings indicate that physical exercise is well tolerated by patients with MG, and is accompanied by improved muscular and physical functions. We propose that physical exercise is safe, effective, and appropriate for patients with well-regulated MG.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10174031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,6]],"date-time":"2021-09-06T21:47:38Z","timestamp":1630964858000},"page":"4031","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Changes in Physical Fitness and Body Composition Associated with Physical Exercise in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis: A Longitudinal Prospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Che-Cheng","family":"Chang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan"},{"name":"Ph.D. Program in Nutrition and Food Sciences, Human Ecology College, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7259-9735","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yen-Kung","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 11101, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2712-8533","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hou-Chang","family":"Chiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Taipei Medical University, Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiann-Horng","family":"Yeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 11101, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2570","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1602678","article-title":"Myasthenia Gravis","volume":"375","author":"Gilhus","year":"2016","journal-title":"N. 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