Australian association for exercise and sports science position statement on exercise and asthma

Establishment of a physical exercise evaluation index system for school-age children with asthma

OBJECTIVE

To construct a comprehensive physical exercise evaluation index system for asthmatic children aged 6-12 years.

DESIGN

Based on knowledge-attitude-practice(KAP) theory, we constructed an item pool for a physical exercise evaluation index system using a literature review and semistructured interviews and refined the index system through two questionnaire cycles with Delphi experts.

RESULTS

For the two questionnaire rounds, the recovery rate was 100%, the experts' authority coefficients were 0.850 and 0.836, and the coordinated coefficients were 0.167 and 0.202 (P<0.001). Finally, four first-level indicators, namely, disease factors, exercise environment, exercise practice, and exercise psychology; 11 second-level indicators; and 50 third-level indicators were developed as a physical exercise evaluation index system for asthmatic children.

CONCLUSION

A physical exercise evaluation index system built using a literature review, qualitative interviews, and Delphi technique can provide scientific guidance for children with asthma, caregivers and health professionals to comprehensively assess the children's physical exercise.

Physical exercise in asthma adolescents: a concept review

Background: Asthma is a frequent pathological condition during childhood and adolescence. Young asthmatics demonstrate decreased aptitude for physical activity and a limited exercise capacity. Lower hospitalisation rates, reduced school absenteeism, fewer medical examinations, and limited use of bronchodilators have been documented in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma who engage in physical exercise regularly. Structured physical exercise protocols should be encouraged as they can work as a synergistic therapeutic option in addition to regular pharmacologic treatment. This article outlines the most suitable exercise training techniques for young patients with bronchial asthma and their effects on health status.

Exercise Training Programs Improve Cardiorespiratory and Functional Fitness in Adults With Asthma: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

PURPOSE

This systematic review aimed to identify the characteristics and determine the effects of exercise interventions on improving health-related physical fitness in adults with asthma.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic search was completed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and SPORTDiscus for peer-reviewed publications of experimental studies that investigated the effects of an exercise training intervention on performance-based health-related physical fitness outcomes in adults with asthma. Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion according to predetermined criteria and performed data extraction and quality assessment of included studies.

SUMMARY

Forty-five articles were included, in which results for 39 unique studies were reported. Subjects (n = 2135) were aged 22 ± 4 to 71 ± 11 yr with mild-severe asthma. Most exercise programs used aerobic exercise, either alone or in combination with resistance or breathing/stretching exercises. The most common exercise program characteristics were supervised moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise performed for 30-45 min 3 d/wk. Meta-analyses revealed significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (V˙o2peak: unstandardized mean difference [MD] 3.1 mL/kg/min, 95% CI, 1.9-4.3), functional fitness (walking distance: MD 41 m, 95% CI, 27-54), and overall health-related physical fitness (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.67, 95% CI, 0.46-0.89) in favor of groups who underwent experimental exercise training interventions. Aerobic exercise elicited superior improvements in health-related physical fitness compared with breathing/stretching exercise (SMD 0.47, 95% CI, 0.14-0.81).Supervised exercise training programs, particularly those aerobic in nature, are effective in eliciting clinically meaningful improvements in cardiorespiratory and functional fitness in adults with asthma.PROSPERO registration ID number = CRD42018092828.

Physical activity in asthma control and its immune modulatory effect in asthmatic preschoolers

BACKGROUND

The impact of physical activity on immune response is a hot topic in exercise immunology, but studies involving asthmatic children are scarce. Our aims were to examine whether there were any differences in the level of physical activity and daily TV attendance, to assess its role on asthma control and immune responses to various immune stimulants.

METHODS

Weekly physical activity and daily television attendance were obtained from questionnaires at inclusion of the PreDicta study. PBMC cultures were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), R848, poly I:C, and zymosan. A panel of cytokines was measured and quantified in cell culture supernatants using luminometric multiplex immunofluorescence beads-based assay.

RESULTS

Asthmatic preschoolers showed significantly more TV attendance than their healthy peers (58.6% vs. 41.5% 1-3 h daily and only 25.7% vs. 47.2% ≤1 h daily) and poor asthma control was associated with less frequent physical activity (PA) (75% no or occasional activity in uncontrolled vs. 20% in controlled asthma; 25% ≥3 times weekly vs. 62%). Asthmatics with increased PA exhibited elevated cytokine levels in response to polyclonal stimulants, suggesting a readiness of circulating immune cells for type 1, 2, and 17 cytokine release compared to subjects with low PA and high TV attendance. This may also represent a proinflammatory state in high PA asthmatic children. Low physical activity and high TV attendance were associated with a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines. Proinflammatory cytokines were correlating with each other in in vitro immune responses of asthmatic children, but not healthy controls, this correlation was more pronounced in children with sedentary behavior.

CONCLUSION

Asthmatic children show more sedentary behavior than healthy subjects, while poor asthma control is associated with a substantial decrease in physical activity. Our results suggest that asthmatic children may profit from regular exercise, as elevated cytokine levels in stimulated conditions indicate an immune system prepared for responding strongly in case of different types of infections. However, it has to be considered that a hyperinflammatory state in high PA may not be beneficial in asthmatic children.

Evidence for lifestyle interventions in asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airways disease, estimated to affect 300 million people worldwide. Asthma management plans focus on optimisation of asthma pharmacotherapy. Lifestyle interventions also hold great promise for asthma sufferers as they are accessible, low cost and have minimal side-effects, thus making adherence more likely. This review explores lifestyle interventions that have been tested in asthma, including improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and introduction of relaxation therapies such as yoga and massage therapy. Available evidence suggests a protective effect of increasing fruit, vegetable and wholegrain intake and increasing physical activity levels in asthma. Weight loss is recommended for obese asthmatic patients, as just 5–10% weight loss has been found to improve quality of life and asthma control in most obese asthmatic patients. Other lifestyle interventions such as meditation, yoga and massage therapy show promise, with positive effects on asthma seen in some studies. However, the study protocols are highly variable and the results are inconsistent. Additional research is needed to further develop and refine recommendations regarding lifestyle modifications that can be implemented to improve asthma.

Lifestyleinterventions may be key to living well with asthma, as increasing fruit, vegetable and wholegrain intake and exercise levels are shown to improve asthma. Future recommendations may include yoga, meditation and massage.http://bit.ly/2wbJp2J

Selective citation in the literature on swimming in chlorinated water and childhood asthma: a network analysis

Background

Knowledge development depends on an unbiased representation of the available evidence. Selective citation may distort this representation. Recently, some controversy emerged regarding the possible impact of swimming on childhood asthma, raising the question about the role of selective citation in this field. Our objective was to assess the occurrence and determinants of selective citation in scientific publications on the relationship between swimming in chlorinated pools and childhood asthma.

Methods

We identified scientific journal articles on this relationship via a systematic literature search. The following factors were taken into account: study outcome (authors' conclusion, data-based conclusion), other content-related article characteristics (article type, sample size, research quality, specificity), content-unrelated article characteristics (language, publication title, funding source, number of authors, number of affiliations, number of references, journal impact factor), author characteristics (gender, country, affiliation), and citation characteristics (time to citation, authority, self-citation). To assess the impact of these factors on citation, we performed a series of univariate and adjusted random-effects logistic regressions, with potential citation path as unit of analysis.

Results

Thirty-six articles were identified in this network, consisting of 570 potential citation paths of which 191 (34%) were realized. There was strong evidence that articles with at least one author in common, cited each other more often than articles that had no common authors (odds ratio (OR) 5.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1-8.8). Similarly, the chance of being cited was higher for articles that were empirical rather than narrative (OR 4.2, CI 2.6-6.7), that reported a large sample size (OR 5.8, CI 2.9-11.6), and that were written by authors with a high authority within the network (OR 4.1, CI 2.1-8.0). Further, there was some evidence for citation bias: articles that confirmed the relation between swimming and asthma were cited more often (OR 1.8, CI 1.1-2.9), but this finding was not robust.

Conclusions

There is clear evidence of selective citation in this research field, but the evidence for citation bias is not very strong.

Tai-Chi-Chuan Exercise Improves Pulmonary Function and Decreases Exhaled Nitric Oxide Level in Both Asthmatic and Nonasthmatic Children and Improves Quality of Life in Children with Asthma

Tai-Chi-Chuan (TCC) is an exercise of low-to-moderate intensity which is suitable for asthmatic patients. The aim of our study is to investigate improvements of the lung function, airway inflammation, and quality of life of asthmatic children after TCC. Participants included sixty-one elementary school students and they were divided into asthmatic (n = 29) and nonasthmatic (n = 32) groups by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Among them, 20 asthmatic and 18 nonasthmatic children volunteered to participate in a 60-minute TCC exercise weekly for 12 weeks. Baseline and postintervention assessments included forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level, and Standardised Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ(S)). After intervention, the level of FeNO decreased significantly; PEFR and the FEV1/FVC also improved significantly in both asthmatic group and nonasthmatic group after TCC. The asthmatic children also had improved quality of life after TCC. The results indicated that TCC could improve the pulmonary function and decrease airway inflammation in both children with mild asthma and those without asthma. It also improves quality of life in mild asthmatic children. Nevertheless, further studies are required to determine the effect of TCC on children with moderate-to-severe asthma.

Intensity of swimming exercise influences tracheal reactivity in rats

Studies that evaluate the mechanisms for increased airway responsiveness are very sparse, although there are reports of exercise-induced bronchospasm. Therefore, we have evaluated the tracheal reactivity and the rate of lipid peroxidation after different intensities of swimming exercise in rats. Thus, male Wistar rats (age 8 weeks; 250–300 g) underwent a forced swimming exercise for 1 h whilst carrying attached loads of 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8% of their body weight (groups G3, G4, G5, G6 and G8, respectively; n=5 each). Immediately after the test, the trachea of each rat was removed and suspended in an organ bath to evaluate contractile and relaxant responses. The rate of lipid peroxidation was estimated by measuring malondialdehyde levels. According to a one-way ANOVA, all trained groups showed a significant decrease in the relaxation induced by aminophylline (10⁻¹²–10⁻¹ M) (pD2=3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.3 and 3.2, respectively for G3, G4, G5, G6 and G8) compared to the control group (pD2=4.6) and the E_max values of G5, G6, G8 groups were reduced by 94.2, 88.0 and 77.0%, respectively. Additionally, all trained groups showed a significant increase in contraction induced by carbachol (10⁻⁹–10⁻³ M) (pD2=6.0, 6.5, 6.5, 7.2 and 7.3, respectively for G3, G4, G5, G6 and G8) compared to the control group (pD2=5.7). Lipid peroxidation levels of G3, G4 and G5 were similar in both the trachea and lung, however G6 and G8 presented an increased peroxidation in the trachea. In conclusion, a single bout of swimming exercise acutely altered tracheal responsiveness in an intensity-related manner and the elevation in lipid peroxidation indicates a degree of oxidative stress involvement.

Exercise and asthma: an overview

The terms 'exercise-induced asthma' (EIA) and 'exercise-induced bronchoconstriction' (EIB) are often used interchangeably to describe symptoms of asthma such as cough, wheeze, or dyspnoea provoked by vigorous physical activity. In this review, we refer to EIB as the bronchoconstrictive response and to EIA when bronchoconstriction is associated with asthma symptoms. EIB is a common occurrence for most of the asthmatic patients, but it also affects more than 10% of otherwise healthy individuals as shown by epidemiological studies. EIA and EIB have a high prevalence also in elite athletes, especially within endurance type of sports, and an athlete's asthma phenotype has been described. However, the occurrence in elite athletes shows that EIA/EIB, if correctly managed, may not impair physical activity and top sports performance. The pathogenic mechanisms of EIA/EIB classically involve both osmolar and vascular changes in the airways in addition to cooling of the airways with parasympathetic stimulation. Airways inflammation plays a fundamental role in EIA/EIB. Diagnosis and pharmacological management must be carefully performed, with particular consideration of current anti-doping regulations, when caring for athletes. Based on the demonstration that the inhaled asthma drugs do not improve performance in healthy athletes, the doping regulations are presently much less strict than previously. Some sports are at a higher asthma risk than others, probably due to a high environmental exposure while performing the sport, with swimming and chlorine exposure during swimming as one example. It is considered very important for the asthmatic child and adolescent to master EIA/EIB to be able to participate in physical activity on an equal level with their peers, and a precise early diagnosis with optimal treatment follow-up is vital in this aspect. In addition, surprising recent preliminary evidences offer new perspectives for moderate exercise as a potential therapeutic tool for asthmatics.

Exercise and asthma: an overview

The terms 'exercise-induced asthma' (EIA) and 'exercise-induced bronchoconstriction' (EIB) are often used interchangeably to describe symptoms of asthma such as cough, wheeze, or dyspnoea provoked by vigorous physical activity. In this review, we refer to EIB as the bronchoconstrictive response and to EIA when bronchoconstriction is associated with asthma symptoms. EIB is a common occurrence for most of the asthmatic patients, but it also affects more than 10% of otherwise healthy individuals as shown by epidemiological studies. EIA and EIB have a high prevalence also in elite athletes, especially within endurance type of sports, and an athlete's asthma phenotype has been described. However, the occurrence in elite athletes shows that EIA/EIB, if correctly managed, may not impair physical activity and top sports performance. The pathogenic mechanisms of EIA/EIB classically involve both osmolar and vascular changes in the airways in addition to cooling of the airways with parasympathetic stimulation. Airways inflammation plays a fundamental role in EIA/EIB. Diagnosis and pharmacological management must be carefully performed, with particular consideration of current anti-doping regulations, when caring for athletes. Based on the demonstration that the inhaled asthma drugs do not improve performance in healthy athletes, the doping regulations are presently much less strict than previously. Some sports are at a higher asthma risk than others, probably due to a high environmental exposure while performing the sport, with swimming and chlorine exposure during swimming as one example. It is considered very important for the asthmatic child and adolescent to master EIA/EIB to be able to participate in physical activity on an equal level with their peers, and a precise early diagnosis with optimal treatment follow-up is vital in this aspect. In addition, surprising recent preliminary evidences offer new perspectives for moderate exercise as a potential therapeutic tool for asthmatics.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as an Analgesic and Ergogenic Aid in Sport: A Systemic Review

Ginger is a popular spice used to treat a variety of maladies, including pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used by athletes to manage and prevent pain; unfortunately, NSAIDs contribute to substantial adverse effects, including gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, hyponatremia, impairment of connective tissue remodeling, endurance competition withdrawal, and cardiovascular disease. Ginger, however, may act as a promoter of GI integrity and as a bronchodilator. Given these potentially positive effects of ginger, a systematic review of randomized trials was performed to assess the evidence for ginger as an analgesic and ergogenic aid for exercise training and sport. Among 7 studies examining ginger as an analgesic, the evidence indicates that roughly 2 g·d(-1) of ginger may modestly reduce muscle pain stemming from eccentric resistance exercise and prolonged running, particularly if taken for a minimum of 5 days. Among 9 studies examining ginger as an ergogenic aid, no discernable effects on body composition, metabolic rate, oxygen consumption, isometric force generation, or perceived exertion were observed. Limited data suggest that ginger may accelerate recovery of maximal strength after eccentric resistance exercise and reduce the inflammatory response to cardiorespiratory exercise. Major limitations to the research include the use of untrained individuals, insufficient reporting on adverse events, and no direct comparisons with NSAID ingestion. While ginger taken over 1-2 weeks may reduce pain from eccentric resistance exercise and prolonged running, more research is needed to evaluate its safety and efficacy as an analgesic for a wide range of athletic endeavors.

Exercise and cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension

Evidence for the benefits of regular exercise is irrefutable and increasing physical activity levels should be a major goal at all levels of health care. People with hypertension are less physically active than those without hypertension and there is strong evidence supporting the blood pressure-lowering ability of regular exercise, especially in hypertensive individuals. This narrative review discusses evidence relating to exercise and cardiovascular (CV) risk in people with hypertension. Comparisons between aerobic, dynamic resistance, and static resistance exercise have been made along with the merit of different exercise volumes. High-intensity interval training and isometric resistance training appear to have strong CV protective effects, but with limited data in hypertensive people, more work is needed in this area. Screening recommendations, exercise prescriptions, and special considerations are provided as a guide to decrease CV risk among hypertensive people who exercise or wish to begin. It is recommended that hypertensive individuals should aim to perform moderate intensity aerobic exercise activity for at least 30 minutes on most (preferably all) days of the week in addition to resistance exercises on 2-3 days/week. Professionals with expertise in exercise prescription may provide additional benefit to patients with high CV risk or in whom more intense exercise training is planned. Despite lay and media perceptions, CV events associated with exercise are rare and the benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the risks. In summary, current evidence supports the assertion of exercise being a cornerstone therapy in reducing CV risk and in the prevention, treatment, and control of hypertension.

Physical training for asthma

BACKGROUND

People with asthma may show less tolerance to exercise due to worsening asthma symptoms during exercise or other reasons such as deconditioning as a consequence of inactivity. Some may restrict activities as per medical advice or family influence and this might result in reduced physical fitness. Physical training programs aim to improve physical fitness, neuromuscular coordination and self confidence. Subjectively, many people with asthma report that they are symptomatically better when fit, but results from trials have varied and have been difficult to compare because of different designs and training protocols. Also, as exercise can induce asthma, the safety of exercise programmes needs to be considered.

OBJECTIVES

To gain a better understanding of the effect of physical training on the respiratory and general health of people with asthma, from randomised trials.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of trials up to January 2013.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised trials of people over eight years of age with asthma who were randomised to undertake physical training or not. Physical training had to be undertaken for at least 20 minutes, two times a week, over a minimum period of four weeks.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed eligibility for inclusion and undertook risk of bias assessment for the included studies.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-one studies (772 participants) were included in this review with two additional 2012 studies identified as 'awaiting classification'. Physical training was well tolerated with no adverse effects reported. None of the studies mentioned worsening of asthma symptoms following physical training. Physical training showed marked improvement in cardiopulmonary fitness as measured by a statistically and clinically significant increase in maximum oxygen uptake (mean difference (MD) 4.92 mL/kg/min; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.98 to 5.87; P < 0.00001; 8 studies on 267 participants); however, no statistically significant effects were observed for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), minute ventilation at maximal exercise (VEmax) or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Meta-analysis of four studies detected a statistically significant increase in maximum heart rate, and following a sensitivity analysis and removal of two studies significance was maintained (MD 3.67 bpm; 95% CI 0.90 to 3.44; P = 0.01). Although there were insufficient data to pool results due to diverse reporting tools, there was some evidence to suggest that physical training may have positive effects on health-related quality of life, with four of five studies producing a statistically and clinically significant benefit.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review demonstrated that physical training showed significant improvement in maximum oxygen uptake, though no effects were observed in other measures of pulmonary function. Physical training was well tolerated among people with asthma in the included studies and, as such, people with stable asthma should be encouraged to participate in regular exercise training, without fear of symptom exacerbation. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which physical activity impacts asthma management.