Do aerobic exercises really improve aerobic capacity of stroke survivors? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Even if aerobic exercises are recommended to stroke survivors, the clinical significance of the effect of these exercises on aerobic capacity has not been definitely shown. AIM: To investigate, if there is evidence that aerobic capacity, measured by maximal oxygen consumption, can be improved by aerobic training? DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis, all settings. SETTING: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine of a University Hospital. POPULATION: Adult stroke survivors. METHODS: Search on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Pedro. Study selection and extraction based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. Random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Based on 13 randomized aerobic training improved aerobic capacity on average by 2.5 mL/kg/min. Four of the included studies had low risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong evidence that aerobic training is capable of improving aerobic capacity of stroke survivors, supporting the routine recommendation for training after stroke. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: It is not known, if one type of training is more effective than others in stroke survivors.