Brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, dancing, HIIT… but also climbing stairs. So-called “aerobic” physical activities have the effect of increasing the capacity of the heart, lungs and muscles. We more commonly talk about endurance sports or “cardio”, because there is nothing like it to boost the cardiovascular/respiratory system, according to various studies, and thus ward off many chronic diseases.
A team of researchers from the University of Newcastle in Australia now suggests that this type of exercise, practiced regularly and intensively, can also prove beneficial in the shorter term, by improving the quality of life of people with asthma, a common respiratory disorder for which there is currently no cure.
Endurance exercise improves asthma-related quality of life
As part of their work, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology : in Practice, researchers from the University of Newcastle in Callaghan, Australia, recruited 41 adults who had the condition. To compare the effects of aerobic training on asthma outcomes and inflammation, they randomly assigned them to three different groups: three times a week for twelve weeks, the first had to practice 45 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and the second, 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity training. The third group, a control, was only subject to routine checks.
Based on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), a measurement instrument designed to assess the quality of life of asthmatics, the researchers confirmed the benefits of cardio: compared to the control cohort, participants who had practiced moderate-intensity training experienced a statistically and clinically significant improvement in asthma-related quality of life and asthma control.
The benefits of moderate or vigorous intensity training
As for the volunteers in the vigorous intensity group, they reported “a statistically, but not clinically, significant improvement” quality of life and asthma control, compared to the control group, we can read in a press release. Still, both types of exercises are “beneficial” et “may be recommended for adults with asthma”depending on their preference.
In detail, the scientists observed, after moderate or vigorous intensity training, “a reduction in upper body fat mass, which was associated with improved AQLQ and reduced interleukin-6 [une substance clé dans la régulation de l’inflammation chronique] in sputum”. It should be noted, however, that“no association with change in physical condition was observed.”
