Relatively high functioning adults with CFS in Auckland New Zealand

[Snow Leopard]

I used to be a semi-competitive athlete...as I began to recover about 18 months ago and became interested in training again (definitely was not interested while I was at my worst!) I found that performing shorts spurts of exercise with breaks in between left me feeling noticeably less fatigued than if I had performed continuous exercise (i.e. walking/jogging 2min on 2min off compared to jogging for say 15 minutes straight).

That may well be the case for those who are spontaneously recovering from CFS, but it is a leap to expect this to be the same for moderate (housebound) to severe (bedbound) patients. The fear is that this will lead to be yet more unrealistic prescriptions by doctors telling patients to exercise - and being personally blamed when they fail to do so. "But this study shows it's possible". Do you understand our concerns? By the way, such studies are meaningless unless they show long term benefit - eg continuing to exercise and maintain higher levels of activity 1-2 years after the intervention. From personal experience, most doctors don't even begin to think that the benefit of these sorts of trials may only be temporary and might not be able to be maintained...

 

[panckage]

Hmm... so it looks like this is the interval training version of graded exercise therapy.
@Cara Blanchard is everyone who participates in the study considered part of the case study? Or is the study just what will be used to pick the most appropriate subjects for the case study?