Crohn's & colitis 360
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
Fatigue is a frequent, impactful symptom in IBD. Identifying that reduced physical fitness (rather than just lower day-to-day activity) is linked to fatigue points toward targeted fitness training as a potential way to help patients feel better.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adults with IBD experiencing fatigue, clinicians managing IBD (gastroenterologists, IBD nurses, physiotherapists/exercise specialists), and researchers studying nonpharmacologic interventions for fatigue.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
Researchers enrolled 53 adults with IBD in remission or with mild–moderate disease and classified fatigue using a validated questionnaire. They measured body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength/endurance, flexibility, and physical activity by accelerometry.
The study found that higher fat mass index and lower cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with greater fatigue, while accelerometer-measured physical activity did not differ between fatigued and non-fatigued patients.
The authors conclude that improving physical fitness (not merely increasing activity volume) might help reduce fatigue in IBD, but the study is relatively small and observational.
Practical tone This paper suggests a possible role for targeted fitness interventions (for example, programs to improve cardiorespiratory capacity and muscle endurance) as one approach to address fatigue in people with IBD. It does not test a treatment and cannot prove causation.
Keep In Mind
This is an observational study with 53 participants; associations do not prove causation. Physical activity was measured by accelerometer but physical fitness used detailed laboratory measures. Findings support further research, ideally randomized trials of fitness-focused interventions.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationCrohn's & colitis 360
AuthorsDemers K, Bongers BC, van Kuijk SMJ +5 more
Study typeJournal article
Indexed viaEurope PMC
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedJun 12, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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