Trainability of Health-Related and Motor Performance Fitness in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis within a 12-Month Partially Supervised Exercise Program

Abstract

Background. Regular physical activity plays an important role in the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study is aimed at investigating the effects of a 12-month partially supervised exercise program on attributes of health-related and motor performance fitness, lung function (ppFEV1), BMI, and habitual physical activity (HPA, steps/day) in adults with CF. Methods. Attributes of health-related and motor performance fitness were examined at the beginning (T0), after 6 (T1), and 12 months (T2) on the basis of five test items: forward bend (FB), bent knee hip extension (HE), plank leg raise (PLR), standing long jump (SLJ), and standing on one leg (OLS). Additionally, we recorded HPA by accelerometry, peak exercise performance ( W peak ) by an incremental cycle test, ppFEV1, and BMI. During the first six months, there was close supervision by an experienced sport therapist. Results. 26 CF patients (8 female, mean age 26.5 ± 7.9 years; ppFEV1 53.7 ± 21.0 ) completed the exercise program. Significant improvements were recorded from T0 to T1 (FB: p ≤ 0.05 ; PLR, OLS: p ≤ 0.01 ) and from T0 to T2 (FB, PLR: p ≤ 0.01 and HE, OLS: p ≤ 0.05 ). W peak , ppFEV1, BMI, and HPA showed no significant improvement between the single test points and over the entire study period (all p > 0.05 ). Conclusion. Our results show trainability of adults with CF in aspects of health-related and motor performance fitness during a partially supervised exercise program. Close supervision positively influences the results. Using a simple test setup seems to be a promising tool for evaluating the effects of exercise programs in CF and could serve as an additional outcome parameter in future clinical trials. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (retrospectively registered May 8, 2018).

Effects of a Long-Term Monitored Exercise Program on Aerobic Fitness in a Small Group of Children with Cystic Fibrosis

“…In a paper published by our research group on CFmobil with adults with CF, we also observed an increase in the drop-out rate at the end of the supervised program [20]. To date, few studies have examined the effects of partially supervised exercise programs on participation [13].…”

“…The study was designed as a pre-experimental study one-group pre-test-post-test intervention study [20]. Anthropometric and pulmonary function data, physical performance data, and habitual physical activity data were collected at three different time points: baseline = T1, at the end of the monitored exercise program after six months (T3), and after further six months without monitoring (T4).…”

Does physical activity influence health behavior, mental health, and psychological resilience under the moderating role of quality of life?

“…Multiple research studies have substantiated the positive impacts of physical exercise on mental well-being ( Dai and Menhas, 2020 ; Duncan et al, 2020 ; Saqib et al, 2020 ). Moreover, a positive correlation exists between increased levels of daily exercise, also known as habitual physical activity (HPA), and enhanced aerobic performance and an extended lifespan ( Ma et al, 2021 ; Welsner et al, 2021 ). Consistent participation in physical activity yields enhancements in both bodily and mental well-being, with the adoption of additional health-enhancing practices and reduced susceptibility to chronic ailments ( Saqib et al, 2020 ).…”

Long-Term Follow-Up of Health-Related Quality of Life and Short-Term Intervention with CFTR Modulator Therapy in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: Evaluation of Changes over Several Years with or without 33 Weeks of CFTR Modulator Therapy

“…The CFmobil project was a partially supervised physical activity intervention for pwCF aged ≥ 6 years, which has been described in detail elsewhere. The project was carried out between 2014 and 2018 at the Christine Herzog Centrum Ruhr (CHCR) and the participating hospitals (Ruhrlandklinik and Kinderklinik, Essen, Germany, and University Hospital for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Bochum, Germany) [19,20]. In the present study, pwCF aged ≥ 18 years from the University Hospital Essen (Ruhrlandklinik and Kinderklinik, Essen, Germany) and the University Hospital for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (Bochum, Germany) agreed to continue participating.…”