Kasee Hildenbrand, Ph.D. - Washington State University
Exercise has been shown to have extensive health benefits both in normally functioning adults as well as in adults with asthma. Asthmatic individuals have previously been noted to have suboptimal cardiorespiratory function and other metabolic risk factors that are improved by endurance exercise training. A program of regular aquatic exercise may have unique benefits in the asthmatic population because of the known aerobic capacity development typical of such programs, combined with the unique value of immersion-produced improvements in respiratory endurance and cardiac output. In addition, there may be clinically important gains in function as well as an increase in exercise-produced anti-inflammatory proteins. The goal of the study is to conduct a study examining the impact of a 12-week exercise program on psychological and physiological factors related to coronary heart disease and type II diabetes in an asthmatic population. We will also be examining differences between land-based and water-based exercise adaptations. We hypothesize that a semester-long weekly exercise regimen in an asthmatic population will result in statistically significant improvement in cardiorespiratory function, asthma symptoms, sleep quality, and psychological parameters.
