Effects of physical training in asthma: a systematic review

Objectives-To assess the evidence for the effects of physical training on p ulmonary function, symptoms, cardiopulmonary fitness, and quality of life i n subjects with asthma. Methods-A search was conducted for randomised controlled trials of subjects with asthma undertaking physical training using the Cochrane Airways Group register of controlled clinical trials, Medline, Embase, Sportdiscus, Scie nce citation index, and Current contents index. Studies were included in th e review if the subjects had asthma, were 8 years of age or older, and had undertaken physical training for at least 20 minutes per session, twice a w eek, for a minimum of four weeks. The eligibility of trials for inclusion i n the review and the quality of the trials were independently assessed by t wo reviewers. Results-Eight studies with a total of 226 subjects met the inclusion criter ia for this review. Physical training had no effect on resting lung functio n but led to an improvement in cardiopulmonary fitness as measured by an in crease in maximum oxygen uptake of 5.6 ml/kg/min (95% confidence interval 3 .9 to 7.2). None of the studies measured quality of life. Conclusions-Physical training improves cardiopulmonary fitness without chan ging lung function. It is not clear if the improvement in fitness translate s into a reduction in symptoms or an improvement in the quality of life. Th ere is a need for further randomised controlled trials of the effects of ph ysical training in the management of asthma.