Eyskens, Jan B, Nijs, Jo, D'Août, Kristiaan et al. · Journal of rehabilitation research and development · 2015 · DOI
Researchers tested how long women with ME/CFS could hold small weights with their arms extended straight out—a test that measures muscle endurance in the arms and trunk. Women with ME/CFS performed significantly worse than healthy women and even worse than older women with osteoporosis, suggesting a specific weakness pattern in ME/CFS. This finding could help guide rehabilitation programs that focus on movement quality rather than just building strength.
This study identifies a measurable, specific physical impairment in ME/CFS—reduced trunk and arm endurance—that distinguishes it from age-related decline and other conditions. Understanding this biomechanical weakness could inform rehabilitation approaches tailored to ME/CFS pathophysiology rather than generic exercise protocols, potentially improving outcomes for patients.
This study does not establish the biological cause of the reduced endurance in ME/CFS or whether this weakness is primary or secondary to disease processes. The cross-sectional design cannot determine if the endurance deficit is stable over time or responsive to intervention. Results apply only to women; findings may not extend to men with ME/CFS.
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
Eyskens, Jan B, Nijs, Jo, D'Août, Kristiaan, Sand, Alain, Wouters, Kristien, & Moorkens, Greta (2015). Timed loaded standing in female chronic fatigue syndrome compared with other populations.. Journal of rehabilitation research and development. https://doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2014.03.0086
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-eyskens-2015-timed-loaded,
author = {Eyskens, Jan B and Nijs, Jo and D'Août, Kristiaan and Sand, Alain and Wouters, Kristien and Moorkens, Greta},
title = {Timed loaded standing in female chronic fatigue syndrome compared with other populations.},
journal = {Journal of rehabilitation research and development},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1682/JRRD.2014.03.0086},
note = {PubMed: 26230614},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/eyskens-2015-timed-loaded},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/eyskens-2015-timed-loaded
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.