Endocrine and Autonomic Nervous Adaptations during Physical Exercise in Down Syndrome

Abstract

One of the goals of Healthy People 2011 is to increase the quality of life and the years of healthy life of all citizens. As the life expectancy of people with Down Syndrome [DS] increases, changes in body function and structure due to ageing may lead to lead to activity limitations and participation restrictions for this population. The physical conditions seen in people with DS include endocrine dysfunction, cardiovascular disorders, obesity, and musculoskeletal disorders (Finesilver, 2002; Thompson, 1999). These physical problems can have a negative impact on the quality of life, regarding both professional and leisure activities. Compared with their peers who are not mentally retarded, individuals with DS, regardless of their age, have lower cardiovascular fitness levels (Horvat & Croce, 1995; Tsimaras et al., 2003). This lower level of cardiovascular fitness may be the result of poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, a lack of opportunity for recreational activities, a poor coordination, and a poor motivation for physical activity. In addition, the lack of cardiovascular fitness may be due to or caused by the high obesity rates observed among adults with mental retardation (Draheim et al., 2002). Poor cardiovascular fitness levels also may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke in adults with mental retardation (Sutherland et al., 2002). Therefore, involvement in cardiovascular conditioning programs would seem to be essential, however, can the cardiovascular fitness levels of these individuals, be improved with exercise, without major health risks? If exercise programs seem to be likely to improve the health of adults with DS, thereby increasing their quality of life and life expectancy, yet further research is needed to investigate the effects of exercise on adults, because some autonomic nervous regulations and endocrine adaptations are known to be inadequate in individuals with DS (Baynard et al., 2004; Figueroa et al., 2005; Iellamo et al., 2005; Gouloupoulou et al., 2006; Bricout et al. 2008).