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Methods

Twenty-nine PwMS with high chronic fatigue were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either a TRAD or IND exercise intervention. TRAD comprised aerobic and resistance exercises according to the guidelines for PwMS. IND specifically addressed identified individual weaknesses. Participants visited the laboratory before and after training for the following assessments: patient reported outcomes (fatigue, quality of life, depression questionnaires), incremental cycling test (V̇O2peak), and cycling fatigue test (maximal voluntary contraction, MVC; rating of perceived exertion, RPE).

Results

Similar improvements in fatigue, depression and quality of life were observed between groups (p> 0.05). Compared to TRAD, IND induced a significant greater increase in V̇O2peak (+ 21.0±13.9 vs 6.8±11.5%, p< 0.05) and a greater reduction in RPE at a given submaximal intensity (-30.3±18.9 vs-12.1±20.4%, p< 0.001), whereas MVC increased similarly in both groups (p> 0.05).

Conclusions

Although tailored exercise improved similarly fatigue and other subjective parameters (depression, quality of life, sleep quality) compared to than traditional exercise interventions, prescribing an individualized intervention led to greater improvement in V̇O2peak (but not maximal strength) and perception of effort. This may have positive functional consequences for patients.