THE EFFECTS OF ENDURANCE EXERCISE PROGRAMME ON THE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION OF ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is an obstructive respiratory disorder characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness. Some studies have suggested that the exacerbation of asthma by exercise is probably due to the fact that asthmatics are poor in physical fitness and that small amounts of exertion may produce disproportionate hyper-ventilation and onset of exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Several studies have shown that regular physical exercise has no adverse effects on the respiratory function of asthmatic children. Rather, it had beneficial effects on their physical and psychological growth. Several researchers have recommended regular physical activities for asthmatic children but with a pre-exercise administration of a bronchodilator drug to suppress the onset of EIA and enable the asthmatic child to exercise safely. The aim of this study was to find out whether asthmatic children can engage in regular physical exercise without the pre-exercise bronchodilator therapy and with no resultant adverse effects on their respiratory function. Fourteen asthmatic children participated in a graded endurance exercise programme thrice weekly for 12 weeks. Five asthmatic children who did not participate in the exercise served as controls. Forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak flow rate (PFR) were used as indices of respiratory function. The mean number of asthmatic attacks three months before the programme was 1.64±1.5 in the experimental subjects and 2.4 + 1.5 in the control subjects. The baseline respiratory function measurements showed that all the subjects were poor in respiratory function when compared to the predicted normal values (PNV) for normal Nigerian children. None of the subjects developed frank or full blown asthmatic attacks during exercise sessions. At the end of the programme, t-tests gave significant increases only in the PFR and FEV1 in the experiment41 group. None of time shamed significant increases in the control group. ANOVA for both groups gave significant F-ratio for only the PFR and FEY, in the experimental group. Significant increases in resting PFR and FEV1 were observed after 10 and eight weeks of training respectively. Only the experimental group had significant decreased (t = -3,135; P|< 0.01) in the number of asthmatic attacks during the programme. Absenteeism from school on account of asthma during the programme came to an aggregate of 10 days and 14 days in the experimental and control groups respectively compared to the 56 days and 28 days which were reported three months before the programme. It was concluded that regular physical exercise training can be tolerated by asthmatic children without a pre-exercise bronchodilator administration if the programme is carefully designed and monitored. The physical conditioning programme had no adverse effects on their respiratory function. Rather, by the end of the programme, the asthmatic children had improved in their respiratory function measurements and their clinical status. It was recommended that the complete treatment programme for asthmatic children should include physical exercise programme.