Martín-Borràs, Carme, González Serra, Gemma, Carrasco-Querol, Noèlia et al. · Frontiers in physiology · 2024 · DOI
Researchers tested a 12-hour program combining physical activity guidance, nutrition advice, and sleep/timing education for people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Participants who completed the program increased their weekly activity, reduced sitting time, slept better, and showed improvements in strength and aerobic fitness compared to those receiving standard care. These improvements appeared within 3 months of completing the brief intervention.
This study provides evidence that a low-intensity, accessible multicomponent intervention can improve functional capacity and movement patterns in ME/CFS patients within primary care settings. The brevity and effectiveness of the program suggests a scalable approach to addressing physical deconditioning and activity intolerance, which are central concerns for people with ME/CFS.
This study does not prove that the improvements are sustained beyond 3 months or that they translate to clinically meaningful quality-of-life gains. The short follow-up period means we cannot determine whether behavior change persists or whether the intervention addresses post-exertional malaise specifically. Additionally, the study does not establish which intervention component (activity, nutrition, or chronobiology) drives the observed improvements.
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
Martín-Borràs, Carme, González Serra, Gemma, Carrasco-Querol, Noèlia, Sansano-Nadal, Oriol, Bueno Hernández, Nerea, Bestraten Del Pino, Pau, et al. (2024). Effectiveness of a brief multicomponent intervention to improve physical activity level and functional capacity in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (Synchronize+).. Frontiers in physiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1441076
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-martn-borrs-2024-effectiveness-brief,
author = {Martín-Borràs, Carme and González Serra, Gemma and Carrasco-Querol, Noèlia and Sansano-Nadal, Oriol and Bueno Hernández, Nerea and Bestraten Del Pino, Pau and Pastor Cazalla, Marta and Caballol Angelats, Rosa and Montesó-Curto, Pilar and Castro Blanco, Elisabet and Pozo Ariza, Macarena and Fernández-Sáez, José and Dalmau Llorca, M Rosa and Gonçalves, Alessandra Queiroga and Aguilar Martín, Carina},
title = {Effectiveness of a brief multicomponent intervention to improve physical activity level and functional capacity in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (Synchronize+).},
journal = {Frontiers in physiology},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.3389/fphys.2024.1441076},
note = {PubMed: 39717828},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martn-borrs-2024-effectiveness-brief},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martn-borrs-2024-effectiveness-brief
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