Exercise Training in Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis: Theory into Practice

Table 1

General exercise and training recommendations.

	Patients with mild to moderate CF lung disease	Patients with severe CF lung disease
Recommended activities	Cycling, walking, hiking, aerobics, running, rowing, tennis, swimming, strength training, climbing, roller-skating, (trampolining)	Ergometric cycling, walking, strengthening exercises, gymnastics, and day-to-day activities
Method	Intermittent and steady-state	Intermittent
Frequency	3–5 times per week	5 times per week
Duration	30–45 minutes	20–30 minutes
Intensity	70%–85% HRmax; 60%–80% peak V̇O2; LT; GET	60%–80% HRmax; 50%–70% peak V̇O2; LT; GET
Oxygen supplementation	Indicated, if SaO2 drops below 90% during exercise	Indicated, if SaO2 drops below 90% during exercise (cave: resting hypoxia)
Activities to avoid	Bungee-jumping, high diving, and scuba diving	Bungee-jumping, high diving, scuba diving, and hiking in high altitude
Potential risks associated with exercise, and training	Dehydration
	Hypoxemia
	Bronchoconstriction
	Pneumothorax
	Hypoglycaemia∗
	Hemoptysis
	Oesophageal bleedings
	Cardiac arrhythmias
	Rupture of liver and spleen
	Spontaneous fractures∗∗

HRmax: maximum heart rate; peak V̇O₂: peak oxygen consumption; LT: lactate threshold; GET: gas exchange threshold; SaO₂: oxygen saturation.
∗Depending on the existence of an impaired glucose tolerance.
∗∗Depending on the existence of untreated CF-related bone disease.