[Relevance of Outpatient, Equipment-based Exercise Training in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases]. / Stellenwert ambulanter, gerätegestützter Trainingstherapie bei Atemwegs- und Lungenkrankheiten.

Exercise training is one of the most important components in disease management for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The clinically relevant benefits of endurance and strength training on dyspnea, exercise capacity and quality of life have been evaluated very well. However, there are some legal limitations by the German Working Group for Rehabilitation (BAR) concerning outpatient exercise training programs (beyond pulmonary rehabilitation): only group-based callisthenic training programs receive funding from health care insurances while professional equipment-based training programs are excluded despite their outstanding effectiveness.This review provides an overview on the methodology and the benefits of outpatient exercise training programs for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, and it critically discusses the organizational structures of these programs in Germany.

[Respiratory Muscle Training: State of the Art]. / Atemmuskeltraining: State-of-the-Art.

Specific respiratory muscle training (IMT) improves the function of the inspiratory muscles. According to literature and clinical experience, there are 3 established methods: 1.) resistive load 2.) threshold load and 3.) normocapnic hyperpnea. Each training method and the associated devices have specific characteristics. Setting up an IMT should start with specific diagnostics of respiratory muscle function and be followed by detailed individual introduction to training. The aim of this review is to take a closer look at the different training methods for the most relevant indications and to discuss these results in the context of current literature. The group of neuromuscular diseases includes muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, paralysis of the phrenic nerve, and injuries to the spinal cord. Furthermore, interstitial lung diseases, sarcoidosis, left ventricular heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), kyphoscoliosis and obesity are also discussed in this context. COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF-bronchiectasis are among the group of obstructive lung diseases. Last but not least, we summarize current knowledge on weaning from respirator in the context of physical activity.