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Review
. 2024 Sep 8;16(9):e68948.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.68948. eCollection 2024 Sep.

The Potential Benefits of Exercise in Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Ghadeer Sabir  1 , Hala A Abdelhady  1 , Adoum Oumar Abakar  2   3 , Ravindra Reddy Gangavarapu  4 , Sayed A Mahmud  1 , Anura Manandhar  1 , Iana Malasevskaia  5   6
Affiliations
Review

The Potential Benefits of Exercise in Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Ghadeer Sabir et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience a significant decline in quality of life due to various symptoms. Exercise has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach to improve IBD management, but its effectiveness requires further investigation. This systematic review, adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, explored the effects of exercise on IBD progression and its potential as a treatment in adults. A comprehensive search strategy was conducted across three databases and two registries from May 12, 2024, to May 22, 2024. Methodological rigor and potential bias were minimized through quality assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2 (RoB 2) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies, and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for studies evaluating the effectiveness of non-randomized interventions. This process yielded 12 high-quality studies for analysis. The review identified positive evidence from both RCTs and observational studies. Exercise interventions demonstrated improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, disease activity, quality of life, and mental health in adults with IBD. Studies explored various modalities, including aerobic exercise, resistance training, and mind-body interventions. However, further research is needed to optimize exercise prescription and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action. This review strengthens the evidence for exercise as a beneficial intervention for IBD patients. Personalized exercise programs based on individual needs hold promise for improved IBD management and patient outcomes. However, limitations exist due to study design variations and the need for long-term follow-up studies.

Keywords: crohn's disease; disease progression; exercise; inflammatory bowel disease (ibd); physical activity; treatment; ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Immunopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease
Figure adapted from Kong et al. [10] TNF-alpha: tumor necrosis factor-alpha; IL: interleukin
Figure 2
Figure 2. PRISMA flow diagram
PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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