Tai Chi Chuan Exercise Improves Lung Function and Asthma Control through Immune Regulation in Childhood Asthma

Effect of Routine Therapy Assisted by Physical Exercise on Pulmonary Function in Patients with Asthma in Stable Stage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Objective

This study is aimed at investigating the efficacy of physical exercise-assisted routine therapy on the pulmonary function of patients with stable asthma to provide clinical evidence and data support to guide disease management.

Methods

Randomized controlled clinical trials of drug therapy and/or physical exercise for patients with stable asthma were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science database. The studies published between January 2000 and June 2021 that met the criteria were included, and corresponding data were extracted. The meta-analysis was performed using the statistical software Stata 16.0. Statistical pooled effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, as funnel plots were made with Begg's rank correlation method to evaluate publication bias.

Result

This meta-analysis included 14 randomized controlled studies. Physical exercise-assisted treatment (experiment group) or routine therapy was associated with significantly elevated levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (P < 0.05). As for the peak expiratory flow (PEF) level (P < 0.05), its level was significantly increased with physical exercise-assisted therapy compared with the conventional approach (P > 0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated that the FVC level in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05) regardless of the adoption of aerobic exercise/anaerobic exercise. In regard to the FEV1 and PEE levels, aerobic exercise was associated with elevated levels in the experimental group (P < 0.05), while no significant difference in anaerobic exercise between both groups was observed (P > 0.05). Further, FEV1, FVC, and PEF levels in the experimental group were higher than those receiving conventional treatment in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Routine treatment combined with physical exercise could improve the levels of FEV1, FVC, and PEF in patients with bronchial asthma in the nonacute attack stage and enhance pulmonary functions. As a safe and efficient adjuvant therapy, physical exercise can contribute to an improved prognosis and quality of life for patients with asthma.

Impacts of aerobic exercise on children with asthma diagnosis: integrative review

Objective: To identify the impacts of aerobic exercise on the health of children with asthma, seeking to know protocols of rehabilitation programs and their impacts. Methods: Clinical trials published from 2010 to 2020 were selected, filtered by the descriptors: 'asthma', 'exercise' or 'physical training', 'children' OR 'adolescents' AND 'quality of life'. Results: Nineteen articles were included; the duration of the programs ranged from 4 to 24 weeks, 2 to 6 times/week, with the sessions varying from 30 min to 1h10min and intensity from 40% to 100% of the Maximum Heart Rate. The studies evaluated strength, lung capacity and function, inflammatory mediators, quality of life, and asthma control. Aerobic interventions made it possible to improve cardiorespiratory capacity, intracellular action of antioxidants, quality of life, and disease control. Significant results were found in protocols with playful exercises performed for 60 minutes, three times a week, and at least 12 weeks. Conclusion: The ease of reproducing the protocols can provide greater coverage of care and rehabilitation, which in the long term can help to reduce the hospitalization rate, cost, and hospital demand for severe exacerbations.

State of Knowledge on Molecular Adaptations to Exercise in Humans: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions

For centuries, regular exercise has been acknowledged as a potent stimulus to promote, maintain, and restore healthy functioning of nearly every physiological system of the human body. With advancing understanding of the complexity of human physiology, continually evolving methodological possibilities, and an increasingly dire public health situation, the study of exercise as a preventative or therapeutic treatment has never been more interdisciplinary, or more impactful. During the early stages of the NIH Common Fund Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) Initiative, the field is well-positioned to build substantially upon the existing understanding of the mechanisms underlying benefits associated with exercise. Thus, we present a comprehensive body of the knowledge detailing the current literature basis surrounding the molecular adaptations to exercise in humans to provide a view of the state of the field at this critical juncture, as well as a resource for scientists bringing external expertise to the field of exercise physiology. In reviewing current literature related to molecular and cellular processes underlying exercise-induced benefits and adaptations, we also draw attention to existing knowledge gaps warranting continued research effort. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:3193-3279, 2022.