Abstract
Asthma control levels are suboptimal. The influence of regular exercise on asthma control is unclear.
We assessed the effects of a 12-week supervised exercise intervention followed by 12–weeks of self-administered exercise on adults with partly controlled asthma (n=21) compared to matched controls (n=15). Assessments were conducted at baseline and week 12 for both the exercise and control group and again at week 24 for the exercise group.
There was a significant treatment effect in the exercise group for asthma control as measured by the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) from baseline to week 12 compared to control. A clinically significant improvement (0.5 increase) was observed for asthma quality of life and ACQ in the exercise group from baseline to week 12. There was a significant improvement in aerobic fitness from baseline to week 24 in the exercise group.
In conclusion, a 12-week supervised exercise intervention led to improvements in asthma control and quality of life in partially controlled asthmatics motivated to exercise. These improvements were maintained, while aerobic fitness and perceived asthma control significantly improved over an additional 12 weeks of self-administered exercise. These findings indicate that a structured exercise intervention can improve asthma control.
- ERS
