Respiratory Muscle Strength Training in Patients Post-COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Estimates of 10-49% of patients may experience ongoing symptoms after COVID-19, including dyspnea. Respiratory muscle strength training has been used to reduce dyspnea in other respiratory diseases, thus, it may be a viable option for individuals with post-COVID-19 symptoms. The objective of this review was to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of respiratory muscle strength training for individuals with post-COVID-19 dyspnea. A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched from 2020-2023. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. Pulmonary measures were improved in all but one study, and dyspnea, physical capacity and quality of life measures achieved statistical significance. Outcomes improved following respiratory muscle strength training as a standalone intervention, or with aerobic and peripheral muscle strength training.