OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects that passive cycling exercise, in combination with conventional physical therapy, have on peripheral muscle strength, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of hospital stay in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care university hospital. METHODS: This was a randomized clinical trial involving 38 patients (>= 18 years of age) on mechanical ventilation who were randomly divided into two groups: control (n = 16), receiving conventional physical therapy; and intervention (n = 22), receiving conventional physical therapy and engaging in passive cycling exercise five days per week. The mean age of the patients was 46.42 +/- 16.25 years, and 23 were male. The outcomes studied were peripheral muscle strength, as measured by the Medical Research Council scale, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in peripheral muscle strength (baseline versus final) in both groups (control 40.81 +/- 7.68 versus 45.00 +/- 6.89; and intervention 38.73 +/- 11.11 versus 47.18 +/- 8.75; p < 0.001 for both). However, the range of increase in strength was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (8.45 +/- 5.20 versus 4.18 +/- 2.63; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of duration of mechanical ventilation or length of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the performance of continuous passive mobilization on a cyclical basis helps to recover peripheral muscle strength in ICU patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01769846 (http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov/)).

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