An exercise intervention performed during chemotherapy can prevent fatigue and reduce decreases in cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen uptake, or VO_2peak), according to a study in JACC: CardioOncology.

Gabriela GF van der Schoot, MD, from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a clinical trial involving patients scheduled to receive curative chemotherapy who were randomly assigned to a 24-week exercise intervention, initiated during chemotherapy or afterwards (groups A and B, respectively).

The primary end point was VO_2peak at one year post-intervention.

Patients with breast (n=139), testicular (95), and colon cancer (30) were included, as were two patients with lymphoma.