Effects of physical exercise training on nocturnal symptoms in asthma: Systematic review

Nocturnal worsening of asthma symptoms is a common feature of asthma. Physical exercise training improves general asthma control; however, there is no evidence showing the effects of physical exercise on nocturnal asthma symptoms. Indeed, asthma patients with daytime and nighttime symptoms are physiologically different, and thus the effects of physical exercise on asthma may also be different in these two groups. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the effects of physical exercise on nocturnal asthma symptoms.

Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and SPORTdiscus (last search on November 2017). Authors from studies that did not report nocturnal symptoms but used questionnaires and/or diaries were contacted for detailed information. Studies that provided results on nocturnal symptoms before and after physical activity intervention were included. Prevalence of nocturnal symptoms was calculated for each study from the percentage of study participants with nocturnal symptoms before and after intervention.

Eleven studies were included (5 with children and 6 with adults). The prevalence of nocturnal symptoms at baseline ranged from 0% to 63% among children and from 50-73% among adults. In children and adults with nocturnal asthma, aerobic physical exercise reduced the prevalence and frequency of nocturnal symptoms.

Aerobic physical exercise improves nocturnal asthma in children and adults by reducing the prevalence and frequency of nocturnal symptoms. Physical exercise training could be used with conventional treatments to improve quality of life and asthma control in patients with nocturnal worsening of asthma.