Aerobic capacity and skeletal muscle function in children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral muscle strength and endurance are decreased in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases and seem to contribute to patients' exercise intolerance. However, the authors are not aware of any studies evaluating peripheral muscle function in children with asthma. It seems to be implied that children with asthma have lower aerobic fitness, but there are limited studies comparing the aerobic capacity of children with and without asthma. The present study aimed to evaluate muscle strength and endurance in children with persistent asthma and their association with aerobic capacity and inhaled corticosteroid consumption. METHODS: Forty children with mild persistent asthma (MPA) or severe persistent asthma (SPA) (N=20 each) and 20 children without asthma (control group) were evaluated. Upper (pectoralis and latissimus dorsi) and lower (quadriceps) muscle strength and endurance were assessed, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed. Inhaled corticosteroid consumption during the last 6 and 24 months was also quantified. RESULTS: Children with SPA presented a reduction in peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)) (28.2±8.1 vs 34.7±6.9 ml/kg/min; p<0.01) and quadriceps endurance (43.1±6.7 vs 80.9±11.9 repetitions; p<0.05) compared with the control group, but not the MPA group (31.5±6.1 ml/kg/min and 56.7±47.7 repetitions respectively; p>0.05). Maximal upper and lower muscle strength was preserved in children with both mild and severe asthma (p>0.05). Finally, the authors observed that lower muscle endurance weakness was not associated with reductions in either peak VO(2) (r=0.22, p>0.05) or corticosteroid consumption (r=-0.31, p>0.05) in children with asthma. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that cardiopulmonary exercise and lower limb muscle endurance should be a priority during physical training programs for children with severe asthma.

Reeducação da postura corporal / Reeducation of body posture

A postura corporal apresenta variações individuais decorrentes de fatores como a repetição de movimentos incorretos no cotidiano. Esta revisão de literatura teve por objetivo identificar como aspectos relacionados à aprendizagem motora como feedback, prática física e mental, podem influenciar uma reeducação da postura corporal. Foi observado em estudos recentes, que pessoas com desvios posturais obtiveram sucesso e muitas vezes tratamentos ortopédicos foram evitados quando a prática física, mental e o feedback foram utilizados. É importante que educadores físicos tenham acesso a estas informações para que implementem estas estratégias em sua prática incentivando a aquisição de uma postura corporal mais adequada por seus alunos.

Posture presents individual variations caused by factors like incorrect repetition of movements in daily activities. The proposal of this review was to identify how aspects related to motor learning as feedback, physical and mental practice can influence the reeducation of a novel posture. It was observed in recent research that people with incorrect posture succeed and orthopedics treatments were not necessary when physical and mental practice and feedback was applied. It is important that Physical Education teachers implement these strategies in their practice helping people to have a more proper posture.