Physical activity interventions in adult kidney transplant recipients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) exhibit a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and adverse changes in physical fitness and body composition. Post-transplant management recommends being physically active and evidence in this field is growing. The aim of this review was to update our previous systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of physical activity and exercise training interventions in KTRs. A comprehensive literature search between March 2021 and September 2024 identified seven additional RCTs. Therefore, this updated review and meta-analysis includes 23 RCTs. Outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), strength, blood pressure, body composition, heart rate, markers of dyslipidemia and kidney function, and health-related quality of life. Twenty-three RCTs, including 1,139 KTRs, were included. The median intervention length was 12 weeks with participants exercising between 2 and 7×/week. Most studies used a mixture of aerobic and resistance training but reporting and intervention content was highly varied. Significant improvements were observed in CRF (V̇O_2peak; +3.87 mL/kg/min, <i>p</i> = .0004), physical function (sit-to-stand-60; +7.72 repetitions, <i>p</i> = .0001), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL; +0.13 mmol/L, <i>p</i> = .02). Isolated studies reported improvements in strength, bone health, lean mass, and quality of life (QoL). All studies were found to have a high or moderate risk of bias. Exercise training or increasing physical activity may confer several benefits in adult KTRs, especially through the improvements in CRF and HDL which have been linked to CVD risk. Despite new literature, there is still a need for long-term larger sampled RCTs and more detailed reporting of intervention details and program adherence.