Effects of a short-term aquatic exercise intervention on symptoms and exercise capacity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a pilot study. — CFSMEATLAS
Effects of a short-term aquatic exercise intervention on symptoms and exercise capacity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a pilot study.
Broadbent, Suzanne, Coetzee, Sonja, Beavers, Rosalind · European journal of applied physiology · 2018 · DOI
Quick Summary
This small study looked at whether exercising in water could help women with ME/CFS. Eleven women did gentle water exercise twice a week for 4 weeks, and researchers measured their strength, fitness, and fatigue levels before and after. The women were able to walk farther, felt less tired and had less pain after the program, and nobody reported feeling worse from the exercise.
Why It Matters
Many ME/CFS patients struggle to find safe forms of physical activity due to post-exertional malaise and symptom flares. This study provides preliminary evidence that aquatic exercise—which reduces joint stress and allows graded intensity—may be tolerable and beneficial, potentially offering clinicians and patients a safer exercise option to explore.
Observed Findings
6-minute walk test distance increased by 60.8 meters (p=0.006)
Left hand grip strength increased by 6 kg (p=0.038)
Sit-Reach flexibility test improved by 4.0 cm (p=0.017)
FACIT quality of life scores increased by 8.2 points (p=0.041)
24-hour post-intervention tiredness and pain decreased by 1.5 and 1.6 points respectively (p=0.002)
No participants reported symptom exacerbation during the 5-week program
Inferred Conclusions
Five weeks of low-to-moderate intensity aquatic exercise can significantly improve exercise capacity and reduce fatigue in women with CFS/ME
Aquatic exercise may be a tolerable and safe physical activity option for ME/CFS patients when carefully dosed
Improved perceived exertion despite increased exercise capacity suggests neurophysiological adaptations to this exercise mode
Remaining Questions
Would these improvements persist beyond 5 weeks, or do they decline without continued intervention?
How do results compare to other exercise modalities (land-based, yoga, tai chi) in ME/CFS populations?
What This Study Does Not Prove
This pilot study does not prove aquatic exercise is effective for all ME/CFS patients, as it included only 11 women and lacked a control group for comparison. The findings cannot establish whether improvements would persist long-term or whether similar results would occur in men, patients with different ME/CFS severity levels, or in larger, more diverse populations. Individual responses may vary significantly.