Home-based exercise has been shown to provide benefits in terms of physical capacity in the general population, but has been scarcely investigated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

To evaluate the impact of a home-based aerobic training on the cardiopulmonary and functional capacities of overweight non-dialysis-dependent patients with CKD (NDD-CKD).

Twenty-nine sedentary patients (55.1 ± 11.6 years, BMI = 31.2 ± 6.1 kg/m², eGFR = 26.9 ± 17.4 mL/min/1.73 m²) were randomly assigned to a home-based exercise group (n = 14) or to a control group (n = 15) that remained without performing exercise. Aerobic training was performed three times per week for 12 weeks. A cardiopulmonary exercise test, functional capacity and clinical parameters were evaluated.

A significant increase, ranging from 8.3 to 17 %, was observed in the cardiopulmonary capacity parameters, such as maximal ventilation (p = 0.005), VO_2peak (p = 0.049), ventilatory threshold (p = 0.040) and respiratory compensation point (p < 0.001), of the exercise group. A simultaneous improvement in the functional capacity tests [6-min walk test (p < 0.001), time up and go test (p < 0.001), arm curl test (p < 0.001), sit and stand test (p < 0.001), 2-min step test (p < 0.001) and back scratch test (p = 0.042)] was also found in patients who were submitted to the exercise. Exercised patients experienced a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, average 10.6 % (p < 0.001) and 9.2 % (p = 0.007), respectively, and a trend toward improved renal function (p = 0.1). No change in any parameter was found in the control group during the follow-up.

The home-based aerobic exercise program was feasible, safe and effective for the improvement in the cardiopulmonary and functional capacities of overweight NDD-CKD patients.