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Long-term, moderately intense exercise improves fitness, quality of life in adults with asthma

Adults with asthma who participated in a weekly exercise program for 1 year increased their fitness levels as well as improved their quality of life compared with participants who did not exercise, according to study results.

“The present study showed that adults with asthma participating in a long-term, outpatient training program experienced improved cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life,” Andreas Meyer, MD, department of pulmonology, Kliniken Mariahilf GmbH in Germany, and colleagues wrote.

Meyer and colleagues conducted a prospective, pseudo-randomized control study on 21 adults with asthma to investigate the effects a 1-year, moderately intense outpatient training program had on physical fitness and quality of life in those participants.

Thirteen participants were selected to exercise based on their proximity to local sports clubs. The adults took part in weekly 60-minute sessions that occurred in the late afternoon and were advised to use their inhaled bronchodilators prior to exercise.

Each participant underwent tests at baseline and after 12 months of the program. All participants also completed a German validated version of the short form 36 (SF-36), a general assessment of health-related quality of life, as well as a German validated version of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ).

At baseline, reduced maximum work rates registered as 68% of predicted value. The participants in the exercise group improved their mean reduced maximum work rate by 18 watts (P = .005), their mean maximum oxygen uptake by 4.6 mL/min/kg (P < .005) and their minute ventilation by 13.2 L/min (P < .005).

Participants who completed the exercise program had increases in the physical (P < .05) and social functioning (P < .05) variables in the SF-36 questionnaire. Improvements also occurred in activities (P <.05), emotions (P < .05) and overall quality of life (P < .05) for the AQLQ.

Meyer and colleagues wrote the results, although positive, do not necessarily translate to all adults with asthma.

“It is important to notify that the positive effects on physical fitness achieved in our comparably small sample may not be generalizable to the broader asthmatic population as it is well known that the training effects are greater in less fit individuals,” the researchers wrote. – by Ryan McDonald

Disclosure: Meyer reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.