Physical training for interstitial lung disease (ILD)

People with ILD often have reduced exercise capacity and shortness of breath during exercise. Physical training can improve well being in people with other chronic lung diseases, but little is known regarding physical training in ILD. We conducted a review to establish whether physical training is safe for people with ILD, and to examine the effects of physical training on exercise capacity, shortness of breath and quality of life. We also looked at whether people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a type of ILD which can progress rapidly, could benefit from physical training. Five studies were included, however only two studies contained sufficient information for the analysis (43 participants receiving physical exercise and 42 participants not). There were no reports of unwelcome effects of physical training. Immediately following training, participants could walk further than those who had not undertaken the training (on average 39 metres further in six minutes), reported less shortness of breath and improved quality of life. People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis also experienced improvements following physical training although these tended to be smaller. There was not enough information to establish whether there were any ongoing effects once the training had stopped. Bigger studies are required to determine which method of physical training is most beneficial and whether the severity of ILD influences the benefits of physical training.