Does exercise improve lung function in a young adult with Cystic Fibrosis?

Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF), is an inherited genetic disease that leads to damage of the respiratory system. This disease not only impacts the lungs, but most organ systems of the body. Normal fluids in the body become thick, clogging important pathways in the body such as in the lungs and the pancreas. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of cardiorespiratory exercise training on lung function. The purpose of this study was to examine how introducing an aerobic-based exercise training program impacts patients with CF. The question is, “Does exercise improve lung function in a young adult with Cystic Fibrosis?”. METHODS: A 22-year-old female volunteer participant agreed to complete a 7week exercise training program, consisting of three days of cardiorespiratory training and one day of active recovery. These sessions lasted from 30-45 minutes in duration and were programmed at a light to moderate intensity. Pre and post exercise testing was completed by the participant before and after this exercise program. Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) was recorded once before, during, and after completing the exercise program. The Rockport walking test protocol was used to evaluate cardiorespiratory endurance while the curl up test was used to evaluate muscular endurance. RESULTS: The times taken to walk a mile, using the Rockport Walk Test protocol were 16:03 minutes and 14:57 minutes, respectively. The results from the curl up test before and after were 34 and 47, respectively. Finally, the values for FEV1 were measured to be 83 and 89, respectively. DISCUSSION: Due to IRB Covid-19 protocol, this case study was done remotely. It is possible that if exercise sessions or testing did not have to be the sole responsibility of the participant to complete, they would have achieved more successful performance. Also, it should be noted that this program lasted seven weeks. With more time, a greater improvement in fitness may have been achieved. Still, there were improvements in the three variables measured