The Impact of a Twelve-Week Moderate Aerobic Exercise Program on Gastrointestinal Symptom Profile and Psychological Well-Being of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients: Preliminary Data from a Southern Italy Cohort

Abstract

Walking is popular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise that improves mental and gastrointestinal (GI) health. It can relieve symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), e.g., intestinal gas, abdominal distension, and bowel disturbances. This study examined the impact of a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program on the clinical and psychological parameters of IBS patients. In total, 40 IBS patients (11 males and 29 females; mean age 51.9 ± 7.8 years) participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise program. Participants completed questionnaires assessing GI symptoms, psychological profiles, and quality of life (QoL) before and after the intervention. Field tests, anthropometric measurements, and bioimpedance assessments were also conducted. The present findings confirmed a significant improvement in IBS symptoms after the aerobic exercise program. Bloating was the most common symptom and, together with abdominal pain, was significantly reduced after treatment. Psychological and QoL questionnaires indicated decreased anxiety, depression, somatization, and stress levels. Correlations were found between anxiety/depression and the severity of abdominal pain as well as between stress and the severity of abdominal distension. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise positively impacted GI symptoms and psychological well-being, complementing dietary and psychological support as a non-pharmacological therapy for the management of IBS. These findings emphasize the importance of alternative approaches for IBS treatment.

Effect of a 12-Week Walking Program Monitored by Global Physical Capacity Score (GPCS) on Circulating Cell-Free mtDNA and DNase Activity in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

“…Our previous papers have demonstrated the positive impact of a twelve-week walking program as a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the gastrointestinal and psychological profiles in IBS patients [32,33]. To shed more light on the relationship between the health benefits of exercise and IBS, we evaluated cf-mtDNA levels before and after twelve weeks of moderate exercise and the activity of its endogenous counter regulator, DNase I.…”

“…Regular walking has been found to help patients with IBS by improving their psychological profile and reducing gastrointestinal symptoms [25,32,33].…”

“…In addition, patients completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) to assess GI symptoms. Selected patients' symptom intensity and frequency resembling IBS were evaluated using the IBS-Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS), as previously reported [32,33].…”

“…resembling IBS were evaluated using the IBS-Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS), as previously reported [32,33].…”

“…As previously described [32,33] PA was organized into "Walking Groups" with the following structure: three weekly outdoor aerobic sessions on non-consecutive days for 12 weeks. The moderate intensity (60/75% of HR max) was monitored with heart rate monitors and personalized using Tanaka's formula [51].…”