Dannaway, Jasan, New, Cameron C, New, Charles H et al. · British journal of sports medicine · 2018 · DOI
This review examined multiple studies to determine whether exercise therapy helps people with ME/CFS. The researchers looked at existing evidence to see if physical activity programs could improve fatigue and other symptoms. However, it's important to note that findings on exercise for ME/CFS are complex and sometimes controversial in the patient community.
This synthesis is significant because exercise recommendations are common in ME/CFS management, yet patients report highly variable responses. Understanding the evidence base helps both clinicians and patients make informed decisions about whether exercise-based interventions are appropriate for individual circumstances.
This review does not prove that exercise is universally beneficial or appropriate for all ME/CFS patients, as clinical responses are heterogeneous. The study cannot establish optimal exercise type, intensity, or duration, nor does it address potential harms in patients who experience post-exertional malaise. Systematic reviews synthesize existing evidence but cannot substitute for rigorous mechanistic studies explaining why some patients benefit while others worsen.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Dannaway, Jasan, New, Cameron C, New, Charles H, & Maher, Chris G (2018). Exercise therapy is a beneficial intervention for chronic fatigue syndrome (PEDro synthesis).. British journal of sports medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098407
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-dannaway-2018-exercise-therapy,
author = {Dannaway, Jasan and New, Cameron C and New, Charles H and Maher, Chris G},
title = {Exercise therapy is a beneficial intervention for chronic fatigue syndrome (PEDro synthesis).},
journal = {British journal of sports medicine},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1136/bjsports-2017-098407},
note = {PubMed: 28982730},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/dannaway-2018-exercise-therapy},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/dannaway-2018-exercise-therapy
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