Abstract
Background
While high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has shown effectiveness in improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) across various chronic respiratory diseases, its impacts on individuals with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) remain unexplored. Our aim was to assess the effects of a home-based, remotely supervised, HIIT programme on CRF, clinical and functional variables in patients with PIBO.
Methods
Participants of this assessor-blinded, multicentre, randomised controlled trial were individuals with PIBO aged 6–20 years. An exercise (EXE) group underwent two 40-min sessions of HIIT remotely supervised in real time per week. Sessions were continued for 16 weeks. The control (CON) group adhered to general physical activity recommendations. The primary outcome was peak oxygen uptake (
V̇
O
2
peak
), time to first ventilatory threshold (VT
1
), percentage of
V̇
O
2
at VT
1
and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide, determined
via
cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill. Secondary outcomes were lung function (spirometry), muscle strength (dynamometry), functional capacity (30-s sit-to-stand (30s-STS) test), body mass index and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire score.
Results
51 PIBO patients were enrolled (EXE group n=25; CON group n=26) (49% females; mean±
sd
age 13.3±4.2 years; forced expiratory volume in 1 s −3.56±1.28 (z-score);
V̇
O
2
peak
36.8±8.6 mL·kg
−1
·min
−1
). The HIIT intervention resulted in improvements in
V̇
O
2
peak
(mean difference 3.39 mL·kg
−1
·min
−1
; p=0.04), time to VT
1
(mean difference 1.05 min; p=0.04) and number of repetitions in the 30s-STS test (mean difference 2.21 repetitions; p=0.04). No differences were found in the other variables.
Conclusions
Our real-time, remotely supervised HIIT intervention was effective at significantly increasing CRF and functional capacity in children and adolescents with PIBO.