Can physical exercise improve allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
4 affiliations
- 1Family Care Physio Clinic, 154 West Coast Road, West Coast Plaza, #01-86, Singapore, 127371 Singapore
- 2Cluster of Health and Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, 1 Punggol Coast Road, Singapore, 828608 Singapore
- 3Independent Researcher, Singapore, Singapore
- 4Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
Abstract
Background: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured physical exercise in reducing symptoms and improving clinical outcomes in adults with allergic rhinitis.
Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched. This review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with clinically diagnosed allergic rhinitis or objective evidence of allergic sensitization. The quality of the included articles was appraised by the Risk of Bias 2 Tool. Searches were conducted from database inception to 4 March 2026. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261283259).
Results: A total of 3,811 records were identified, with seven RCTs involving 395 participants included in the review. Exercise interventions were generally associated with improvements in allergic rhinitis symptoms, nasal function, and inflammatory biomarkers. Pooled data from two studies demonstrated a significant improvement in peak nasal inspiratory flow favouring exercise interventions over control (SMD 0.99, 95% CI 0.41 to 1.56; p < 0.01; I² = 0%).
Conclusion: This systematic review summarized the available RCTs showing that exercise may improve allergic rhinitis symptoms and clinical indicators. However, the current evidence remains limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneity across studies, and the findings should be interpreted with caution.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0.
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BibTeX
@article{lo2026physical,
title = {{Can physical exercise improve allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials}},
author = {Chi Ngai Lo and Bernard Pui Lam Leung and Felix Haobo Wang and Aiden Yin Hoi Wong and Shirley Pui Ching Ngai},
journal = {BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Can physical exercise improve allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
AU - Chi Ngai Lo
AU - Bernard Pui Lam Leung
AU - Felix Haobo Wang
AU - Aiden Yin Hoi Wong
AU - Shirley Pui Ching Ngai
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/30
JO - BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
DO - 10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0
AB - Background: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured physical exercise in reducing symptoms and improving clinical outcomes in adults with allergic rhinitis. Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched. This review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with clinically diagnosed allergic rhinitis or objective evidence of allergic sensitization. The quality of the included articles was appraised by the Risk of Bias 2 Tool. Searches were conducted from database inception to 4 March 2026. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261283259). Results: A total of 3,811 records were identified, with seven RCTs involving 395 participants included in the review. Exercise interventions were generally associated with improvements in allergic rhinitis symptoms, nasal function, and inflammatory biomarkers. Pooled data from two studies demonstrated a significant improvement in peak nasal inspiratory flow favouring exercise interventions over control (SMD 0.99, 95% CI 0.41 to 1.56; p < 0.01; I² = 0%). Conclusion: This systematic review summarized the available RCTs showing that exercise may improve allergic rhinitis symptoms and clinical indicators. However, the current evidence remains limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneity across studies, and the findings should be interpreted with caution. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-01925-0.
SN - 2052-1847
ER -