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 →
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