Survey analysis of exercise participation and skeletal muscle symptoms in women with hypothyroidism

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of exercise on skeletal muscle symptoms experienced by women with hypothyroidism. An online survey on exercise participation was completed by female participants undergoing treatment for hypothyroidism (n = 580). Basal muscle symptoms (MS) and exercise muscle symptoms were analyzed by the type of exercise performed, cardiovascular/aerobic (CV), resistance training (RT), or both (CVRT). Exercise participation affected MS (F = 7.186, p < .01) with respondents performing a combination of CVRT reporting the lowest basal MS compared to those performing CV (p = .044), RT (p = .031) alone, or those performing no exercise at all (p < .001). Associations between muscle pain (χ² = 7.963, p = .019) and muscle fatigue (χ² = 14.240, p < .001) during exercise and by exercise type were found. Muscle pain during exercise was also associated with an exercise type and frequency (χ² = 24.164, p < .019). Finally, there was an association between recovery from exercise and frequency of exercise bouts (χ² = 32.185, p < .001). Women with hypothyroidism commonly experience skeletal muscle symptoms at rest and during exercise. The results from this study indicate the type of exercise performed may have an impact on the occurrence of these symptoms.

KEYWORDS:

• Thyroid status
• myopathy
• fatigue
• exercise intolerance
• metabolism

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Paul Yeatts, PhD, from the Center for Research and Design Analysis, for assisting with statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, AD, upon reasonable request.