Table 3 Cardio-respiratory, muscle strength and autonomic parameters assessed before and after follow-up period

Cardio-respiratory parameters

 Total distance (m)

473.55±79.81

421.20±75.06^†

52.35 (10.33;94.37)

437.00±39.26

398.5±94.87

38.5 (-3.52; 80.52)

0.34

<0.01

0.63

 % of estimated distance (%)

83.72±15.02

75.06±12.99^†

8.67 (1.44;15.89)

76.51±6.87

69.63±16.58

6.88 (-0.34;14.11)

0.26

<0.01

0.72

 VO2 (ml·Kg·min-1)

16.65±1.65

15.60±2.24^†

1.06 (0.54;2.06)

15.97±1.84

15.58±2.31

0.39 (-0.61;1.39)

0.68

<0.05

0.34

Muscle strength

 Dominant

23.37±2.66

19.39±4.66^†

3.98 (2.38;5.58)

25.05±4.41

23.35±4.66^†

1.70 (0.09;3.30)

0.10

0,00

<0.05

 Non-dominant hand

20.17±3.28

17.10±3.51^†

3.07 (0.91;5.23)

22.18±3.70

22.43±5.25

-0.25 (-2.41;1.91)

0.04

0.07

0.03

Autonomic function

 rMSSD

44.43±25.27

14.89±8.28^†

29.54 (7.63;51.46)

28.77±13.64

39.15±37.66

-10.37 (-32.29;11.54)

0.59

0.21

0.01

 SDNN

72.14±61.37

26.30±10.37^†

45.84 (11.01;80.67)

41.72±13.64

55.77±40.03

-14.04 (-48.87;20.78)

0.97

0.19

0.02

 LH/HF

1.22±0.47

2.84±1.82^†

-1.62 (-2.87;-0.37)

2.01±1.16

2.24±2.30

-0.23 (-1.48;1.02)

0.86

0.04

0.12