The effects of a 12-week exercise programme for people living with HIV in Ethiopia

Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week exercise protocol on physical and immunological parameters in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ethiopia. Methods A two-arm parallel-group randomised controlled study was conducted. Fifty-eight PLHIV (29 male and 29 female), aged 39 (± 8.5) years, were allocated randomly into a control group ( n = 20), an aerobic exercise group ( n = 19) and a resistance exercise group ( n = 19). The control group continued with their usual daily activities, while the experimental groups participated in aerobic and resistance exercises for 12 weeks. Anthropometrics (body mass index, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio), resting measurements (heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure) and immunological (CD4 + T cell count and viral load) parameters were assessed prior to, and post, the 12-week exercise programme. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. Results Significant differences in mean BMI, body fat percentage, CD4 + T cell count and viral loads between groups were found, post-intervention. When comparing the mean differences for the BMI scores, both the resistance ( p = 0.034) and aerobic ( p = 0.009) exercise groups were significantly different when compared to the control group. Post-intervention CD4 + T cell counts showed a significant difference between the resistance exercise group and the control group ( p = 0.049). Lastly, a significant difference in the mean viral load between both the resistance exercise group ( p = 0.031) and aerobic exercise group ( p = 0.008), when compared to the control group, was found. Conclusion The study showed that a structured 12-week aerobic or resistance exercise programme improves selected anthropometric and immunological parameters in PLHIV. Exercise is, therefore, a safe, conservative intervention in the rehabilitation of PLHIV.