Outcomes | Sub-Group Comparison of Meta-Analysis | # of Individual Studies Included in Meta-Analysis | Number of Participants Included in Meta-Analysis | Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) | 95 % Confidence Interval | P value of overall effect | I2 statistic (p value for heterogeneity) | Interpretation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CD4 count (cells/mm3) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 14 studies (Baigis 2002 [50]; Dolan 2006 [51]; Farinatti 2010 [32]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; LaPerriere 1990 [35, 36] ; Lox 1995 [38]; Mutimura 2008a [45]; Perez-Moreno 2007 [27]; Perna 1999 [48]; Rigsby 1992 [47]; Smith 2001 [40]; Stringer 1998 [49], Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 479 | 37.43 cells/mm3 | −0.16, 75.01 | 0.05 | 92 % (p < 0.00001) | No difference in change in CD4 count among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. Confidence interval indicates a positive trend towards an improvement in CD4 count among exercisers. |
Constant or PRE compared with no exercise | 7 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Farinatti 2010 [32]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Perez-Moreno 2007 [27]; Rigsby 1992 [47], Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 173 | 57.82 cells/mm3b | −1.27, 116.91 | 0.06 | 74 % (p = 0.0008) | No difference in change in CD4 count among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. Confidence interval indicates a positive trend towards an improvement in CD4 count among exercisers. | |
Interval aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 45 | 69.58 cells/mm3b | 14.08, 125.09 | 0.01a | 64 % (p = 0.09) | Significant increase in CD4 count for interval aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | |
Constant or interval aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 7 studies (Baigis 2002 [50]; LaPerriere [35, 36] 1990; Lox 1995 [38]; Mutimura 2008a [45]; Perna 1999 [48]; Smith 2001 [40]; Stringer 1998 [49]) | 306 | 18.08 cells/mm3 | −11.82, 47.99 | 0.24 | 82 % (p < 0.0001) | No difference in change in CD4 count among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 5 studies (Baigis 2002 [50]; Lox 1995 [38]; Mutimura 2008a [45]; Smith 2001 [40]; Stringer 1998 [49]) | 261 | −3.11 cells/mm3 | −31.06, 24.84 | 0.83 | 74 % (p = 0.004) | No difference in change in CD4 count among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic exercise and diet and/or nutrition counselling group compared with diet and/or nutrition counselling alone | 3 studies (Balasubramanyam 2011 [33]; Ogalha 2011 [28]; Terry 2006) [52] | 161 | −23.59 cells/mm3 | 66.10, 18.92 | 0.28 | 80 % (p = 0.006) | No difference in change in CD4 count among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Moderate compared with heavy intensity exercise | 2 studies | 39 | −42.90 cells/mm3 | −116.28, 30.47 | 0.25 | 44 % (p = 0.18) | No difference in change in CD4 count for participants exercising at moderate compared with heavy intensity. | |
CD4 Percentage (%) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 3 studies | 145 | 0.63 % | −1.32, 2.59 | 0.53 | 88 % (p = 0.0003) | No difference in change in CD4 percentage among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Constant aerobic exercise group compared with no exercise AND Constant or interval aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 118 | −0.33 % | −1.98, 1.32 | 0.69 | 76 % (p = 0.04) | No difference in change in CD4 percentage among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Viral Load (log10 copies) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 6 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Smith 2001 [40]; Stringer 1998 [49], Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 162 | 0.18 log10 copies | −0.13, 0.48 | 0.27 | 0 % (p = 0.68) | No difference in change in viral load among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Aerobic exercise intervention group compared with no exercise AND Constant aerobic exercise group compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 63 | 0.40 log10 copies | −0.28, 1.07 | 0.25 | 0 % (p = 0.88) | No difference in change in viral load among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 4 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Grinspoon 2000 [42], Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 99 | 0.12 log10 copies | −0.23, 0.46 | 0.51 | 0 % (p = 0.46) | No difference in change in viral load among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |