Category: Parkinson's Disease (Other)
Objective: To identify an exercise regimen with the greatest neuroprotective benefit in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and determine whether low-intensity treadmill training preserves motor function and muscle mass through mitochondrial and antioxidant mechanisms.
Background: Exercise is a promising adjunct therapy for PD, but the optimal modality and duration remain unclear. Defining an effective, feasible training paradigm with mechanistic support may improve translational relevance.
Method: Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned Sprague-Dawley rats were used as a PD model. Low-intensity treadmill, high-intensity treadmill, and swimming were first compared. Low-intensity treadmill training was then tested at 10 m/min for 15 or 30 min/day for 4 or 10 weeks. Motor performance was assessed by gait, rotarod, grip strength, and beam-walking tests. Dopaminergic neuronal integrity, antioxidant enzyme activities, mitochondrial function, body composition, and expression of mitochondria-, antioxidant-, and neurotrophic factor-related genes were analyzed.
Results: Low-intensity treadmill exercise outperformed high-intensity treadmill running and swimming in improving neurological and motor outcomes. Among treadmill regimens, 30 min/day was superior to 15 min/day, and 10 weeks produced the most robust effects. This regimen significantly improved gait, rotarod performance, grip strength, and balance, attenuated dopaminergic neuron loss in the striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta, increased glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities, enhanced mitochondrial function in soleus muscle, upregulated mitochondria-related genes in muscle, and increased antioxidant- and neurotrophic factor-related gene expression in brain tissue. It also mitigated reductions in body weight, muscle mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density.
Conclusion: Low-intensity treadmill exercise for 30 min/day over 10 weeks confers robust neuroprotective and functional benefits in 6-OHDA-induced PD. These findings support a practical exercise paradigm that preserves both brain and muscle through coordinated mitochondrial and antioxidant regulation, with potential relevance for PD rehabilitation and disease modification.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
TH. Yeh, CC. Chiu, HY. Huang. Low-Intensity Treadmill Training Preserves Motor Function and Muscle Mass Through Mitochondrial and Antioxidant Regulation in a Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2026; 41 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/low-intensity-treadmill-training-preserves-motor-function-and-muscle-mass-through-mitochondrial-and-antioxidant-regulation-in-a-rat-model-of-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed October 1, 2026.« Back to 2026 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/low-intensity-treadmill-training-preserves-motor-function-and-muscle-mass-through-mitochondrial-and-antioxidant-regulation-in-a-rat-model-of-parkinsons-disease/