Mechanisms of ventilatory limitation to maximum exercise in children and adolescents with chronic airway diseases.

Introduction: Exercise intolerance is common in chronic airway diseases (CAD), but its mechanisms are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate exercise capacity and its association with lung function, ventilatory limitation, and ventilatory efficiency in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) and asthma when compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Cross-sectional study including patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, CF and healthy children and adolescents.

Comparison of physical fitness between healthy and mild-to-moderate asthmatic children with exercise symptoms: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Asthma is a chronic disease that may affect physical fitness, although its primary effects on exercise capacity, muscle strength, functionality and lifestyle, in children and adolescents, are still poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, lifestyle, lung function, and functionality between asthmatics with exercise symptoms and healthy children. In addition, we have analyzed the association between clinical history and the presence of asthma.

Tailored Exercise during Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Hospitalization in Children with Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study.

We assessed the clinical effects of a supervised exercise (aerobic + resistance) intervention performed during inpatient hospitalization for pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Patients were placed in an exercise ( = 65 (47 and 18 with allogeneic (allo-) and autologous (auto-) HSCT, respectively)) or a control ( = 53 (39 and 14)) group. Exercise interventions were performed in isolated hospital patient rooms.

Effect of a combined exercise program on physical fitness, lung function, and quality of life in patients with controlled asthma and exercise symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Asthmatic patients may benefit from exercise training, although the effects of a combined aerobic and resistance training program are still poorly investigated in children and adolescents.

Objective: To analyze the effects of a combined exercise training (resistance and aerobic) program on aerobic fitness, lung function, asthma control and quality of life in a group of mild-moderate asthmatic children with exercise symptoms.

Methods: This was a 12-week randomized controlled trial including children and adolescents diagnosed with mild-moderate asthma and presenting exercise-induced symptoms.

Inhospital exercise benefits in childhood cancer: A prospective cohort study.

Childhood cancer patients are at risk of developing important adverse effects, mortality and disease relapse after treatments, which has a substantial economic impact on healthcare systems. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supervised inhospital exercise on clinical endpoints during childhood cancer treatment. 169 children with a new diagnosis of cancer were divided into an exercise intervention (n = 68, 11 ± 4 years) or a control group (n = 101, 11 ± 3 years).

Inhospital Exercise Training in Children With Cancer: Does It Work for All?

Physical exercise training might counteract the weakening effects of both pediatric cancer and anti-cancer treatment. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of "responders" and "non-responders" to inhospital exercise training in children with cancer and to identify the factors that could influence responsiveness, which might help personalize exercise interventions for this patient population. We performed an ancillary analysis of the randomized controlled trial "Physical activity in Pediatric Cancer" (NCT01645436), in which 49 children with solid tumors were allocated to an inhospital exercise intervention or control group.

Effects of Exercise on the Immune Function of Pediatric Patients With Solid Tumors: Insights From the PAPEC Randomized Trial.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an in-hospital exercise intervention during neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the inflammatory profile and immune cell subpopulation in 20 children with solid tumors (control [n = 11] and exercise group [n = 9]). Although no significant interaction (group × time) effect was found with an analysis of variance test, we found a trend toward an interaction effect for natural killer cells expressing the immunoglobulin-like receptor KIR2DS4, with their numbers remaining stable in the exercise group but increasing in controls. Our data support that exercise interventions are safe in pediatric cancer patients with solid tumors during chemotherapy treatment despite its aggressive, immunosuppressive nature.

Exercise Intervention in Pediatric Patients with Solid Tumors: The Physical Activity in Pediatric Cancer Trial.

Introduction: The randomized controlled trial "Physical Activity in Pediatric Cancer" determined the effects of an inhospital exercise intervention combining aerobic and muscle strength training on pediatric cancer patients with solid tumors undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Participants were allocated to an exercise (n = 24, 17 boys; mean ± SEM age, 10 ± 1 yr) or control group (n = 25, 18 boys; 11 ± 1 yr). Training included three sessions per week for 19 ± 2 wk.

Physical-capacity-related genetic polymorphisms in children with cystic fibrosis.

In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), physical capacity (PC) has been correlated with mortality risk. In turn, PC is dependent on genetic factors. This study examines several polymorphisms associated with PC and health-related phenotype traits (VO2peak, FEV1, FVC, PImax and muscular strength) in a group of children with CF (n = 66, primary purpose).

Levels of moderate--vigorous physical activity are low in Spanish children with cystic fibrosis: a comparison with healthy controls.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is recommended as part of the treatment regimen for cystic fibrosis (CF) although objective methods have been scarcely used to monitor achievement of PA guidelines.

Methods: PA was measured by accelerometer in outpatient CF children (n=47) and results were compared with those obtained in age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=39).

Results: 2.

Aerobic fitness is associated with lower risk of hospitalization in children with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) often have to be hospitalized because of acute exacerbation of their respiratory symptoms. Given the fact that improved peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak ) is positively associated with lung function and overall health in children with CF, this study examined the association between VO2peak and the need for hospitalization in a cohort of pediatric CF patients.

Methods: In a 3-year study, 77 CF children with mild-to-moderately severe CF (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV1 ] ≥ 50%) underwent a maximal exercise test to determine VO2peak .

Physical Activity in Pediatric Cancer patients with solid tumors (PAPEC): trial rationale and design.

Background: This randomized controlled trial on Physical Activity in Pediatric Cancer (PAPEC) was designed to assess the impact of an exercise program on pediatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy for solid tumors.

Methods And Design: 60 pediatric patients of both sexes, aged 4 to 18 years and undergoing treatment for extracranial primary solid tumors will be recruited for this trial. Each participant will be randomly assigned (with blocking on sex) to either an intervention or control (normal care) group.

Benefits of combining inspiratory muscle with 'whole muscle' training in children with cystic fibrosis: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: The purpose of this study (randomised controlled trial) was to assess the effects of an 8-week combined 'whole muscle' (resistance+aerobic) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on lung volume, inspiratory muscle strength (PImax) and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak) (primary outcomes), and dynamic muscle strength, body composition and quality of life in paediatric outpatients with CF (cystic fibrosis, secondary outcomes). We also determined the effects of a detraining period.

Methods: Participants were randomly allocated with a block on gender to a control (standard therapy) or intervention group (initial n=10 (6 boys) in each group; age 10±1 and 11±1 years).

Intrahospital weight and aerobic training in children with cystic fibrosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the effects of an 8-wk intrahospital combined circuit weight and aerobic training program performed by children with cystic fibrosis (of low-moderate severity and stable clinical condition) on the following outcomes: cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and muscle strength (five-repetition maximum (5RM) bench press, 5RM leg press, and 5RM seated row) (primary outcomes) and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s), weight, body composition, functional mobility (Timed Up and Down Stairs and 3-m Timed Up and Go tests), and quality of life (secondary outcomes). We also determined the effects of a detraining period (4 wk) on the aforementioned outcomes.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial design.

Does resistance training improve the functional capacity and well being of very young anorexic patients? A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: We determined the effects of a 3-month low-moderate-intensity strength training program (2 sessions/week) on functional capacity, muscular strength, body composition, and quality of life (QOL) in 22 young (12-16 yrs) anorexic outpatients.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to a training or control group (n=11 [10 females] each). Training sessions were of low intensity (loads for large muscle groups ranging between 20%-30% and 50%-60% of six repetitions maximum [6RM] at the end of the program).

Exercise during hematopoietic stem cell transplant hospitalization in children.

Purpose: The purpose of this controlled trial was to assess the effect of an approximately 3-wk intrahospital exercise intervention performed during inpatient hospitalization for pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) on (i) immune cell recovery and (ii) body composition.

Methods: Immune (i.e.