The Effects of Combined Respiratory Muscle and Exercise Training in Children with Bronchial Asthma: A Randomised Controlled Study

Shuhui Yang, Zhanmei Zhang, Yulin Liu, Enmei Liu, Zhengxiu Luo Department of Respiratory Disease, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University/ National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders/ Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders/ Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yulin Liu, Email liuyulin817@163.comObjective: To investigate the effects of combined respiratory muscle and exercise training on inspiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, spirometry measurements, asthma control the quality-of-life in children with asthma.Methods: Fifty children with asthma, who were treated in children’s hospital of Chongqing medical university in Chongqing between May and December 2021, were selected and randomly divided into a rehabilitation group and a control group by using a random number table. The control group was given routine drug treatment and health education while the rehabilitation group received a combination of respiratory muscle and exercise training on the basis of control group.Results: After three months of treatment, the maximum inspiratory pressure, level of asthma control and quality-of-life in the rehabilitation group were significantly improved when compared with those in the control group (P< 0.05); there were no significant differences in the 6-minute walking test and spirometry measurements (P> 0.05). After three months of treatment, all outcome indicators in the rehabilitation group were significantly improved when compared to those before treatment (P< 0.05). The mean value of maximum inspiratory pressure and some indices of spirometry measurements in the control group were significantly improved when compared to those before treatment (P< 0.05).Conclusion: Combining respiratory muscle and exercise training on the basis of the routine drug treatment and health education significantly improved inspiratory muscle strength, the level of asthma control and the quality-of-life in children with asthma. More research is needed to explore its role in asthma in the future.Keywords: training, bronchial asthma, children, respiratory muscles, exercise capacity, spirometry measurements, asthma control level, quality of life