HIIT, resistance training boost wellbeing in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) may benefit from an exercise regimen consisting of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training (RT), which could lead to better functional and general wellbeing, as well as a lower burden of lymphoma-specific symptoms, reports a recent study.

The present pilot study included 15 CLL patients (mean age 63.9 years), who were nonrandomly assigned to a 12-week exercise intervention or to a control group. The training regimen included three 30-minute sessions of HIIT and two sessions of RT per week; those designated as controls were instructed to continue their usual daily activities.

The study outcome was health-related quality of life (HRQoL), evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lymphoma (FACT-Lym) questionnaire before and after the trial. Scores for the physical (PWB), social (SWB), emotional (EWB), and functional (FWB) wellbeing domains were also determined.

FWB scores improved in the HIIT+RT group, jumping from a mean of 21.7 at baseline to 23.9 at 12 weeks. In comparison, scores in the control group remained constant at 25.7 at both time points. The Cohen’s d estimate was 1.38, which was statistically significant (p=0.021).

A similar effect was reported for the overall FACT score, which improved from 89.2 to 94.6 in the HIIT group (Cohen’s d, 1.11; p=0.055).

Of note, researchers also documented positive changes in terms of PWB, SWB, EWB, and the total FACT-Lym scores, though these failed to reach statistical significance. HIIT+RT likewise led to a nominal improvement in lymphoma symptom burden.