[Pneumology and Sports: An Outpatient Endurance Training with Sports Medical Guidance as an Effective Non-pharmacological Therapy in Pneumology - a Feasibility Study].

BACKGROUND: In the process of medical rehabilitation muscular endurance training is the main focus. Unfortunately, outpatient rehabilitation opportunities are limited and specialized pulmonary exercise groups ("lung sport groups") rarely available. Therefore we developed an outpatient endurance sports program for patients with respiratory diseases and evaluated its effectiveness.

METHODS: In this feasibility study 31 patients (50 ± 15 years) with diverse respiratory diseases were included. By professional functional exercise testing (incl. CPET and lactate measurement according to the standards of DGP and DGSP) the patients optimal training zone was determined and an individualized 12 week lasting aerobic endurance training with ≥ 3 sessions of 20 - 60 min/week realized.

RESULTS: After completion of the exercise training program a significant improvement in dyspnoea (Borg-Scale: 65.7 ± 12.2 vs. 62.2 ± 12.6, p = 0.013), body constitution (BMI: 25.7 ± 3.3 vs. 24.3 ± 3.2 kg/m(2), p = 0.018; portion of body fat: 24.8 ± 5.8 vs. 23.8 ± 6.4 %, p = 0.043) as well as physical capacity (VO2 at 4 mmol/l Laktat: 24.2 ± 6.9 vs. 26.5 ± 7.6 ml/min/kg, p < 0.01; performance at 4 mmol/l Laktat: running/walking (n = 14) + 1.1 km/h, p = 0.018 and biking/bicycle ergometer (n = 17) + 8.7 Watt, p = 0.019) was recorded. These positive developments were also observed in mental and physical quality of life (quality of life questionnaire SF-36: physical score + 9.7 points, mental score + 4.5 points).

CONCLUSION: The evaluated exercise program can easily be trained by the patient in a self-dependent setting and was seen to be an effective sports medical treatment in patients with diverse pulmonary diseases.