Exercise for adults with crohn’s disease trial

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A randomised controlled trial investigating the feasibility and acceptability of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training in adults with inactive or mildly active Crohn’s disease

  • IRAS ID

    188903

  • Contact name

    Lindsay Bottoms

  • Contact email

    l.bottoms@herts.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Hertfordshire

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    It may be important for people with Crohn’s disease (CD) to exercise regularly because this could have several beneficial effects such as reducing fatigue and inflammation, increasing muscle and bone strength, and improving quality of life. However, little research has been done to explore the safety and effects of exercise training in CD.

    We have designed a small exploratory study to explore the acceptability and possible benefits of two commonly used exercise programmes in adults with CD. Forty-five people who are in remission from CD or with mild disease will be recruited to the study from at least two NHS Hospital Trusts. After initial assessments, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a moderate-intensity exercise programme involving 3 sessions of exercise per week for 12 weeks, (2) a high-intensity interval exercise programme of the same frequency and duration, or (3) a control group who receive usual care only. All exercise sessions will be supervised in a university sports science laboratory or a hospital rehabilitation facility.

    We will collect data to help us assess the feasibility of conducting a future large-scale study of exercise training in CD. In addition, possible benefits of the exercise programmes to be explored include reduced inflammation (measured using blood and stool samples), increased fitness (assessed using a cycling exercise test), and improved fatigue levels, mental health and quality of life (using standardised questionnaires). Participants will be assessed at 13 and 26 weeks after joining the study.

  • REC name

    London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/LO/1804

  • Date of REC Opinion

    19 Nov 2015

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion