Acute high-intensity exercise did not produce statistically significant day-to-day changes in RLS severity, with no significant difference in sIRLS scores the night after exercise (p=0.057).
Does an acute high-intensity exercise bout change symptom severity in untreated, sedentary adults with moderate-to-severe idiopathic RLS?
An acute bout of high-intensity exercise did not produce statistically significant day-to-day changes in RLS severity, though inter-individual variability was observed.
Effect estimate: partial eta-squared 0.17
p-value: p=0.109
Abstract Introduction Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor sleep disorder whereby chronic exercise represents one of the most promising non-pharmacological approaches for managing symptoms, but some parameters of exercise (e.g., short-term high intensity) anecdotally exacerbate symptoms. This is the first study to systematically examine the effect of an acute exercise bout in adults with RLS. Methods Untreated, sedentary adults (N=12) with moderate-to-severe idiopathic RLS completed a submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise test to fatigue and maximal lower-extremity muscle strength testing. All participants completed the Self-Administered International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (sIRLS) Scale adapted for 24-hours daily for seven days starting two days before testing (pre) and continuing for five days post-testing, with primary outcomes being total score (range=0-40) and visual analogue scores (VAS; range=0-100). Results All participants were women; mean age=50 (range=24-70); mean baseline sIRLS=18 (range=11-25). Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated no statistically significant day-to-day difference in sIRLS total scores (F4,40=2.03, p=0.109) or VAS scores (F4,40=1.727, p=0.163) across the seven-day period. The night immediately after acute exercise did not differ significantly from pre-exercise for average sIRLS (mean diff=–2.17; p=0.057) or VAS scores (mean diff=–6.8; p=0.222). Individual responses varied, whereby three (25%) participants reported an increase in symptoms (all 3 points), while nine (75%) reported reductions, with three (25%) reporting 3 point change (delta range –5 to –11), surpassing the minimal clinically significant change for this scale. For VAS, four (33%) participants reported an increase (delta range= 2 to 16) and seven (58%) reported a reduction in symptoms (delta range=–2 to –51). Conclusion These preliminary results did not produce statistically significant day-to-day changes in RLS severity following acute, high-intensity exercise. A partial eta-squared of 0.17 suggests a medium-to-large effect size, implying a potentially meaningful pattern that the study was underpowered to detect. Inter-individual variability immediately post-exercise aligns with our prior work. Long-term effects of exercise remain to be studied. Support (if any) Supported, in part, by the Sleep Research Society Foundation, the Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences 2024 Trailblazing Trainee Award Program, the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation.
Cederberg et al. (Sex,) conduziram outro estudo em Síndrome das Pernas Inquietas Idiopática (RLS) (n=12). O exercício agudo de alta intensidade vs. a linha basal pré-exercício foi avaliado na pontuação total do sIRLS e nas pontuações de escala analógica visual (VAS) (eta-quadrado parcial 0.17, p=0.109). O exercício agudo de alta intensidade não produziu mudanças estatisticamente significativas na gravidade da RLS dia após dia, sem diferença significativa nas pontuações do sIRLS na noite após o exercício (p=0.057).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: