Aerobic Training Versus Behavioral Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Patients With Asthma

Effects of Aerobic Training Versus Behavioral Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Patients With Asthma: a Randomized, Blinded Clinical Trial.

To compare the effects of aerobic training and behavioural intervention to increase physical activity in the clinical control of asthma and in the quality of life of patients with asthma.

Adult participants of both genders with moderate to severe asthma, not physically active, will be evaluated after being informed about the study, agreeing and signing the informed consent form. Participants will be randomized to aerobic training or behavioral intervention group. Both interventions will consist of 8 weeks. Aerobic training will be performed on a treadmill (2xweek; 45 min/session). The behavioral intervention will be a program to increase physical activity (1xweek; up to 90 min / session). The maximum HR will be estimated according to the Tanaka's equation (208 - 0.7 x age).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participants not physically active;
2. Uncontrolled asthma (ACQ>1,5);
3. Diagnosis of asthma based on the recommendations of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2020);
4. Be under outpatient follow-up at the Pulmonology or Immunology service of the University of Sao Paulo General Hospital;
5. Be under outpatient medical treatment for at least six months, with a stable clinical condition for at least 30 days;
6. Being using optimized drug therapy for asthma.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participation in another research protocol;
2. Difficulty in understanding any of the questionnaires used;
3. Practitioners of regular physical activity;
4. Pregnancy and psychiatric problems that make it difficult to understand the questionnaires and the study protocol;
5. Presence of another chronic lung, neurological or musculoskeletal disease that hinders or prevents physical activity;
6. Patients who are smokers or ex-smokers (who have quit smoking for less than 1 year or who have smoked more than 15 pack-years).