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Effects of intermittent aerobic training on exercise capacity, pulmonary functions, and gait parameters in asthmatic
G S Soliman1, A R Azab, W K Abdelbasset
1Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences in Al-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia. gssoliman@ju.edu.sa.
Insights
Intermittent aerobic exercise significantly improved exercise capacity, lung function, and gait in children with asthma and cerebral palsy (CP). This 10-week program offers a promising approach for pulmonary rehabilitation in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) and asthma often face challenges in aerobic capacity, musculoskeletal function, and quality of life.
- Existing evidence lacks support for exercise programs improving these parameters in asthmatic children with CP.
- Intermittent aerobic training is explored as a potential intervention for this specific pediatric population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of a 10-week intermittent aerobic training program.
- To assess improvements in exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and gait parameters in asthmatic children with CP.
- To determine the impact on the quality of life for these children.
Main Methods:
- A clinical trial involving 36 children (ages 7-12) with asthma and CP.
- Random allocation into an intermittent aerobic exercise group (IAEG) and a control group (CG).
- Measurements included the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV1), gait parameters (stride length, cadence, gait speed), and pediatric asthma quality of life (PAQLQ) before and after the 10-week intervention.
Main Results:
- The IAEG demonstrated significant improvements in 6MWT, FVC, FEV1, PAQLQ, stride length, cadence, and gait speed (p<0.05).
- The control group showed no significant changes in these parameters (p>0.05).
- Post-treatment, significant differences favored the IAEG compared to the CG across all measured outcomes (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Ten weeks of intermittent aerobic exercise can enhance exercise capacity, pulmonary function, gait, and quality of life in children with asthma and CP.
- This exercise protocol is recommended for pulmonary rehabilitation programs targeting children with CP and respiratory issues.
- The findings suggest a beneficial role for targeted aerobic training in managing co-occurring conditions in pediatric CP.
Objective:
There is no evidence that exercise training program is effective in improving aerobic capacity, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and quality of life in asthmatic children with cerebral palsy (CP). Therefore, the effects of intermittent aerobic training on exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and gait parameters in asthmatic CP children have been evaluated in the current study.
Patients And Methods:
This clinical trial included thirty-six asthmatic CP children between January and December 2021. Their ages were between 7 and 12 years old. They were randomly allocated to the intermittent aerobic exercise group (IAEG) and a control group (CG), with 18 per each group. The children have been recruited for the 10-week interventional program. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), stride length, cadence, gait speed, and pediatric asthma quality of life (PAQLQ) were all measured before and after treatment.
Results:
Pre-post analysis in the IAEG showed noteworthy changes (6MWT, p=0.005; FVC, p=0.002; FEV1, p<0.001; overall score of PAQLQ, p<0.001; stride length, p<0.001; cadence, p<0.001; and gait speed, p˂0.001), while the control group showed non-significant changes (p>0.05). There were noteworthy differences between IAEG and CG post-treatment (6MWT, p=0.019; FVC, p=0.031; FEV1, p<0.001; overall score of PAQLQ, p=0.031; stride length, p<0.001; cadence, p=0.009; and gait speed, p<0.001) in favor of the IAEG.
Conclusions:
Depending on the study findings, 10 weeks of intermittent aerobic exercise may improve exercise capacity, pulmonary function, gait parameters, and quality of life in asthmatic CP children. Based on what we found, this protocol should be used in pulmonary rehabilitation programs for children with CP who have breathing problems.
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