The IBD-FITT Study—Moderate-Intensity Exercise for Patients with Active Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Exercise has been suggested as a supplementary modality for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), but supporting evidence remains scarce. We aimed to assess whether a 12-week physical exercise intervention improves quality of life (QOL) in adults with active IBD. Methods: An open-labeled randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of a 12-week physical exercise intervention on QOL in adults (18-65 years) with active IBD. Participants were randomized 1:1 into either an intervention group, with two weekly supervised exercise sessions and one home session, or a control group with standard care. QOL by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ5D), waist circumference, blood pressure, disease activity, and lipid status. Explorative outcomes were C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, and cytokines (interleukin-6, -8, and -10 and tumor necrosis factor). Results: We screened 183 patients and included 44 participants, with 22 in each group. Eleven participants completed more than 50% of the exercise sessions. Among the participants, 17 were male, 27 were female, and the mean age was 37 years. The mean IBDQ scores at week 12 showed no statistically significant difference: 172 for the intervention group (95%CI: 158-185) and 164 for the control group (95%CI: 151-178). No clinically significant differences for secondary or exploratory outcomes were found. Conclusions: We did not find any difference in the QOL after a 12-week exercise intervention in patients with active IBD compared to standard care. Recruiting proved difficult, as did adherence to exercise sessions, mostly due to scheduling issues.