Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients

Gender (M/F)

25 / 6

13 / 2

12 / 4

0.65

Age (years)

69.0 (54.0–83.0)

72.5 ± 10.8

61.5 ± 20.1

0.07

Body mass (Kg)

80.1 ± 14.6

81.0 (72.0–95.1)

76.7 (64.4–83.1)

0.12

Height (m)

1.7 ± 0.1

1.7 (1.7–1.8)

1.7 (1.6–1.7)

0.15

BMI (Kg/m²)

26.4 (25.1–30.2)

29.3 ± 5.7

26.4 ± 3.2

0.09

Time on HD (months)

23.0 (9.0–48.0)

23.0 (9.0–56.0)

24.0 (9.3–47.8)

0.78

Biochemical markers

 Creatinine (mg/dL)

8.7 ± 3.3

7.5 ± 2.0

9.9 ± 3.9

0.04*

 Urea (mg/dL)

158.9 ± 31.8

144.0 ± 27.9

172.9 ± 29.4

0.009*

 Kt/V

1.3 ± 0.4

1.2 ± 0.2

1.3 ± 0.4

0.54

 Albumin (mg/dL)

4.0 ± 0.3

3.8 ± 0.3

4.1 ± 0.2

0.02*

 Ferritin (mg/dL)

363.2 ± 182.7

321.9 ± 176.8

401.9 ± 185.2

0.23

 Lactate (mg/dL)

9.9 ± 4.6

11.0 ± 4.6

8.9 ± 4.6

0.23

 IGF-1 (mg/dL)

162.0 (131.0–191.0)

149.7 ± 29.8

194.3 ± 76.4

0.04*

Body composition

 LTI (Kg/m²)

10.2 (9.5–14.4)

9.7 (8.7–14.4)

10.5 (9.8–13.8)

0.33

 FTI (Kg/m²)

15.0 ± 6.1

16.0 ± 7.8

14.1 ± 3.9

0.39

 PhA (°)

4.0 ± 1.1

3.3 ± 0.5

4.7 ± 1.0

< 0.001*

 MIS (points)

6.4 ± 2.8

7.9 ± 2.9

5.1 ± 1.9

0.003*

Peripheral muscle strength

 MRC (points)

52.0 (48.0–60.0)

48.0 (48.0–54.0)

55.0 (48.0–60.0)

0.07

 HGS (Kgf)

26.0 (20.0–34.0)

22.8 ± 6.7

30.4 ± 8.2

< 0.001*

 HGS (% predicted)

71.0 ± 22.9

59.2 (44.7–73.8)

74.7 (64.9–91.1)

0.04*

 Peak torque RLL (Nm)

57.4 ± 18.3

46.3 ± 15.8

67.8 ± 14.1

< 0.001*

 Peak torque LLL (Nm)

65.1 ± 22.7

54.2 ± 18.7

75.3 ± 21.8

0.007*

Exercise tolerance

 6MST (steps)

67.6 ± 41.0

34.7 ± 21.7

98.4 ± 28.8

< 0.001*

 6MST (% predicted)

50.5 ± 28.5

27.5 ± 17.0

72.0 ± 18.3

< 0.001*