Abstract
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of colon cancer, but there is little information
on the merits of such activity in the prevention and management of chronic inflammatory
bowel disease (CIBD). The present systematic review thus documents current levels
of habitual physical activity and aerobic and muscular function in CIBD, and examines
the safety, practicality and efficacy of exercise programmes in countering the disease
process, correcting functional deficits and enhancing quality of life. A systematic
search of the Ovid/Medline database from January 1996 to May 2015 linked the terms
physical activity/motor activity/physical fitness/physical training/physical education/training/exercise/exercise
therapy with Crohn’s disease/colitis/ulcerative colitis/inflammatory bowel disease,
supplementing this information by a scanning of reference lists and personal files.
12 of 16 published studies show a low level of habitual physical activity in CIBD,
with sub-normal values for aerobic power, lean tissue mass and muscular strength.
3 of 4 studies suggest physical activity may reduce the risk of developing IBD, and
11 interventions all note that exercise programmes are well tolerated with some decreases
of disease activity, and functional gains leading to an increased health-related quality
of life. Moreover, programme compliance rates compare favourably with those seen in
the treatment of other chronic conditions. More information on mechanisms is needed,
but regular moderate aerobic and/or resistance exercise improves the health status
of patients with CIBD both by modulating immune function and by improving physical
function. A regular exercise programme should thus become an important component in
the management of CIBD.
Key words
crohn’s disease - habitual physical activity - immunoregulation - lean tissue mass
- maximal aerobic power - quality of life - strength - ulcerative colitis
