Physical training to improve exercise capacity in people with cystic fibrosis

The progress of lung disease in cystic fibrosis leads to abnormal breathing during exercise. This limits people exercising, which in turn affects health and body image. Physical training is designed to improve physical, heart and muscle strength through aerobic and anaerobic activity. Aerobic exercise involves training for a length of time such as distance cycling or running. Anaerobic exercise involves training intensely for a short time such as weight training or sprinting. A lack of regular physical training may lead to more severe lung disease and a reduced ability to perform day-to-day tasks. The side effects of exercise include dehydration, damage to muscles and bone fractures in those with low bone mineral density. This review includes seven studies with 231 participants. Due to different study designs, we were not able to combine any data. Some studies were short-term and did not show differences between treatments. However, it is not likely that training for less than one month would be beneficial. There is some evidence that physical training produces benefits and that these are influenced by the type of training programme. There are not enough studies in this review to compare aerobic training to anaerobic training or to a mixture of these two. The review provides some evidence that the benefits of training are maintained after training has ceased, but it is not clear for how long. Physical training is already part of the care package offered to most people with CF and there is no evidence to discourage this.