Physical Activity and Fitness in Patients with Headache Disorders*

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that aerobic activities might reduce severity and/or frequency of migraine attacks. The present study was intended to investigate whether physical activities and fitness (aerobic endurance, flexibility, and muscle strength endurance) as well as body composition are different in patients with headache disorders and healthy control subjects. The study included 56 patients (aged 17-64 years) with headache disorders (migraine, tension-type, cluster, analgetics abuse, and other types of headache) and 145 age-matched volunteers without history of recurrent or chronic headache. A standardized questionnaire revealed similar self-esteem of physical activities in both groups. Objective physical fitness testing in a representative sample of 22 patients and 36 control subjects showed significantly reduced aerobic endurance in female and male patients as well as reduced flexibility in female patients as compared to control subjects, whereas muscle strength endurance was not significantly different between both groups. Female patients presented with a significantly higher total body fat as compared to control subjects. In conclusion, headache patients turned out to be less physically fit than control subjects. There was a discrepancy between self-esteem and objective test results regarding physical activity and fitness in patients with headache disorders.

Tobacco, Nicotine, and Headache

“…Headache patients turned out to be less physically fit than control subjects. However, habits such as smoking did not differ significantly between both groups …”

Associations of Diet and Lifestyle With Headache in High‐School Students: Results From a Cross‐Sectional Study

“…A majority of the published studies, primarily dealing with adults, found associations between headache and skipping meals, 19,20,26 high consumption of caffeine, 1,14‐16 regular smoking, 1,20,24‐27 excessive consumption of alcohol 1,20,26,28 or physical inactivity 20,22,23,31 . In contrast, there is a limited number of studies which did not report such associations between headache and skipping meals, 16 high consumption of caffeine, 21,32 regular smoking, 16,21,31 consumption of alcohol, 16,21,32 or physical inactivity 21 .…”

“…Dietary factors, such as high consumption of coffeine, 1,13‐16 insufficient fluid intake, 17,18 or irregular intake of meals, 19,20 were identified as contributing to trigger or prolong headache attacks or headache frequency. Other lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, 20‐23 smoking 1,20,24‐27 or excessive consumption of alcohol, 20,26,28 were also reported to be associated with headache in adults.…”

Sport bei Migräne

“…Vergleichsbeobachtungen zum Sportverhalten und Sportgewohnheiten könnten dies stützen: Neusüss et al [63] stellten bei einer Gruppe von Migränikern fest, dass diese genauso oft oder selten Sport trieben wie die Vergleichspopulation ohne Kopfschmerzen, Dooley et al [20] fanden ähn-liche Ergebnisse bei Adoleszenten.…”