Table 1.

The study characteristics of randomized controlled trials.

Author and Year	Country	Disease	Sample Size (N)	Age (year) and Gender	Exercise
Bohn-Goldaum et al. (2019) [25]	Australia	Influenza	N = 46 EG = 23 CG = 23	Age: EG = 74.4 ± 6.5; CG = 72.3 ± 6.7 Gender: EG, M = 11, F = 12; CG, M = 11, F = 12	EG: Resistance exercise CG: Rest
Dangour et al. (2011) [26]	Britain	Pneumonia	N = 1500 EG = 480 NS + EG = 516 CG = 504	Age: EG = 66.1 ± 0.9; NS + EG = 66.2 ± 1.0; CG = 66.1 ± 1.0 Gender: EG, M = 141, F = 339; NS + EG, M = 163, F = 353; CG, M = 186, F = 318	EG: Resistance exercise + recreational activities NS + EG: Resistance exercise + recreational activities + nutritional supplement CG: Rest
Edwards et al. (2015) [27]	Australia	Influenza	N = 46	Age: 73 ± 7 Gender: M = 23, F = 23	EG: Resistance exercise CG: Rest
Hayney et al. (2014) [28]	USA	Influenza	N = 98 EG = 47 CG = 51	Age: EG = 59.0 ± 6.6; CG = 58.8 ± 6.8 Gender: EG, M = 8, F = 39; CG, M = 10, F = 41	EG: Sustained exercise CG: Rest
Kohut et al. (2004) [2]	USA	Influenza	N = 27 EG = 14 CG = 13	Age: EG = 73.07 ± 5.6; CG = 70.25 ± 5.6 Gender: N/A	EG: Aerobic exercise CG: Low intensity exercise or rest
Kohut et al. (2005) [12]	USA	Influenza	N = 27 EG = 14 CG = 13	Age: EG = 70.25 ± 5.57; CG = 73.07 ± 5.59 Gender: EG, M = 7, F = 7; CG, M = 6, F = 7	EG: Aerobic exercise CG: Walking or rest
Long et al. (2012) [15]	Britain	Influenza + Pneumonia	N = 62 EG = 31 CG = 31	Age: EG = 57.94 ± 4.40; CG = 58.55 ± 4.38 Gender: N/A	EG: Aerobic exercise CG: Rest
Matsumoto et al. (2015) [29]	Japan	Pneumonia	N = 208 EG = 137 CG = 71	Age: EG = 74.5 ± 5.6; CG = 74.9 ± 6.6 Gender: EG, M = 35, F = 102; CG, M = 13, F = 58	EG: Home-based exercise with expiratory muscle training CG: Rest
Ranadive et al. (2014) [14]	USA	Influenza	N = 55 EG = 28 CG = 27	Age: EG = 66 ± 0.93; CG = 67 ± 0.77 Gender: N/A	EG: Aerobic exercise CG: Rest
Takatori et al. (2016) [30]	Japan	Pneumonia	N = 266 EG = 148 CG = 118	Age: EG = 74.6 ± 5.1; CG = 75.9 ± 6.0 Gender: F = 266	EG: Specifically home-based exercise programme CG: General stretching exercise
Vieira et al. (2008) [31]	USA	Influenza	N = 145 EG = 75 CG = 70	Age: 60–83 Gender: N/A	EG: Cardiovascular exercise CG: Flexibility or balance exercise
Woods et al. (2009) [13]	USA	Influenza	N = 144 EG = 74 CG = 70	Age: EG = 69.6 ± 4.9; CG = 70.1 ± 5.7 Gender: EG, M = 27, F = 47; CG, M = 27, F = 43	EG: Cardiovascular exercise CG: Stretching and balance exercise
Yang et al. (2007) [32]	USA	Influenza	N = 50 EG = 27 CG = 23	Age: EG = 79.5 ± 1.9; CG = 74.1 ± 2.0 Gender: EG, M = 6, F = 21; CG, M = 7, F = 16	EG: Qigong and Taiji form practice CG: Rest

Note: exercise group, EG; control group, CG; nutritional supplement, NS; male, M; female, F.