Effect of aerobic exercise on functional capacity and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Objectives: To investigate the effect of aerobic exercise (AE) on functional capacity and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in the mild to moderate stages. Data Sources: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Lilacs and PEDro were searched from inception until January 2021 using the MeSH terms. Study Selection: Studies conducted in individuals with PD involving AE compared to a control group were included. Data extraction: Characteristics of the studies were independently extracted by two reviewers. The PEDro scale was used to assess the methodological quality, and the level of evidence was analyzed and synthesized using the GRADE approach. Data Synthesis: Of the ten studies, 411 individuals with PD were included. The level of synthesized evidence for cardiorespiratory function was low and without effect, and very low and without effect. For gait was very low and with effect for speed and stride length and without effect for cadence. For mobility was very low and with effect. For muscle strength was very low and with effect for the lower limbs as well as without effect for the upper limbs. For postural balance was very low and without effect. For quality of life was low and without effect. Conclusion: Aerobic exercise was capable of promoting improvements in gait (walking speed and stride length), mobility, and lower limb muscle strength in individuals with PD in the mild to moderate stages. No significant improvement in quality of life was found due to the practice of AE.

Automated summary

Aerobic exercise can promote improvements in gait, mobility, and lower limb muscle strength in individuals with Parkinson's disease in mild to moderate stages, but does not significantly improve quality of life.