Introduction:

According to data from the Portuguese Society of Nephrology, in Portugal on December 31 of 2018, 12,227 patients underwent hemodialysis treatment (HD). Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis present physical and psychological limitations that induce to a sedentary life stile. They have a higher risk of mortality due to reduced functional capacity and loss of muscle strength when compared to individuals of the same age. Scientific evidence points to the implementation of regular exercise programs as supporting treatment for these individuals.

Objectives:

Gather and characterize the existing scientific evidence of the benefits of intradialitic physical exercise (IFE), which supports the future implementation of an IFE program in a hemodialysis center.

Method:

The research was carried out in the EBSCOhost databases, in April and May 2020, having initially obtained a total of 2,602 scientific productions. Were selected for final analysis 19 studies, 2 quasi-experimental studies and 17 randomized controlled studies, which met the inclusion criteria.

Results:

The analysis of the scientific evidence guides to 3 intradialitic intervention categories: aerobic physical exercise, resistance physical exercise and combined physical exercise (aerobic and resistance). All exercise programs have benefits in one or more parameters: hemodialysis effectiveness; functional physical capacity; depression; quality of life; muscle strength; cardiovascular changes; daily physical activity; sleep; balance and restless legs syndrome.

Conclusion:

The literature founded, allows us to conclude that IFE programs are simple and inexpensive to implement, have several benefits for hemodialysis patients without prejudice to the dialysis efficacy.