Physical exercise training
The EXP group performed an aerobic exercise session during dialysis. This type of training was delivered in the first two hours of dialysis, three days a week for 12 weeks, on a customized bed ergometer (BedBike, Lemco, Denmark). The cycling session began with a 5-min warm-up and ended with a 5-min cool-down. In the main part, we aimed to reach 30 min of exercising with a gradual increase in duration and resistance. The resistance was implied to each individual’s capability according to the rate of perceived exertion with maintaining the intensity level of 4th–5th grades on a 10-grade Borg scale, which was shown to be effective in this patient population [