The Effect of Intensive Physical Exercise on Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients With Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease

In patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), characterized by relapsing intestinal inflammation, chronic fatigue is a burdensome and highly prevalent symptom. The aetiology is thought to be multifactorial, including complex interactions of psychological and physical factors such as immunological profiles and gut microbiota. Unfortunately, specific treatment strategies are currently lacking. Since fatigued patients have an impaired physical fitness and are less physically active than patients without fatigue, it is hypothesised that physical exercise might be an effective complementary treatment for patients with IBD suffering from fatigue. During a previous pilot cohort study, significant improvements in fatigue complaints and quality of life were observed following a personalised and intensive exercise program. In this study, a multicenter randomized controlled trial will be performed to further investigate this assumed beneficial effect of intensive physical exercise.