Physiological and Psychological Effects of Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise on Young Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

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Abstract
Background Cystic fibrosis (CF), a lethal hereditary disease, causes its victims to produce abnormally thick mucus which is retained, causing obstruction. Studies have reported that, with exercise. CF patients exhibited improved work capacity, oxygen uptake, and quality of life. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of a structured low impact aerobic exercise program on the patients' work capacity, oxygen uptake and reported quality of life. Methods Ten subjects between the ages of 19 and 31 with moderate or severe cystic fibrosis began the study: six completed it. Subjects had no other lung disease, no cardiac disease, were not currently exercising, and were nonsmokers. Spirometry, exercise testing, and quality of well-being (QWB) measurements were performed on all subjects before and after participating in an 8-week low-impact aerobic exercise program. Pre- and post-test Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1). Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF25–75), resting heart rate, METS, VO2 max, and QWB scores were compared for each subject. Two-tailed t-tests were applied, with an alpha level of 0.05. There was no significant difference in FVC, FEV1, FEF25–75, or QWB (P > 0.05). Results Subjects showed significant improvement in the following parameters: maximal oxygen consumption (P = 0.006); workload, measured in metabolic equivalents (P = 0.016); and resting heart rate (P = 0.003). Conclusions Findings suggest that low-impact aerobic exercise signifcantly improves ability to utilize oxygen and decrease myocardial work in patients with moderate or severe cystic fibrosis.

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