Evaluation of a Training Program for Homozygous Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Each training session will last 45 min. Exercise will start by a 5-min warm-up cycling period, followed by 30 min of cycling at the power output (W) individually determined before and corresponding to the first lactate threshold corresponding approximately to 2.5 mmol/l . Then patients will cool down for 5 min. Finally, the training sessions will end by 5 min of light stretching. All training sessions will take place at the hospital and will be under the supervision of a physician. Heart rate, oxygen saturation and blood lactate concentrations will be regularly measured. Work rate will be adjusted according to the obtained results. As a safety procedure, blood lactate concentration must not exceed 4 mmol/L during the training sessions. A particular attention will be paid to the hydration of patients. Pain and fatigue will be evaluated everyday by the patients using (100 mm) visual analog scales.