Physiological Responses to Arm and Leg Exercise in Women Patients with 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

J of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol 14(1) (2007) pp. 43-53

Casimiro Javierre MD, PhD; José Alegre MD, PhD; José Luis Ventura 
MD, PhD; Ana García-Quintana MD, PhD; Ramon Segura MD, PhD; Andrea Suarez 
MD; Alberto Morales MD; Agusti Comella MD, PhD; Kenny De Meirleir MD, PhD


Patients affected by chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) characteristically show 
easy and unexplained fatigue after minimal exertion that does not resolve 
with rest and is associated with specific symptoms lasting for more than 
six months. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a valid procedure for 
determining functional capacity in patients with CFS.

We compare cardioventilatory adaptation to exercise between a group of 
eighty-five consecutive women patients affected by CFS and a group of 
fifteen healthy women extremely sedentary individuals, with the use of 
maximum incremental exercise testing on a cycle ergometer and arm 
ergometer, assessing possible differences.

The majority of values achieved at peak exhaustive exercise were 
significantly lower in CFS patients than controls, including the percentage 
of maximum oxygen uptake in arm physical test (37.4±10.0% in CFS vs. 58.9± 
15.8% in controls) and leg physical test (53.4±15.0% in CFS patients vs. 
76.2 ± 18.0% in controls).

In conclusion, the CFS group shows a lower work capacity in arm or leg 
exercise that would not be justified exclusively by their personal 
characteristics or deconditioning.


Keywords: Chronic fatigue syndrome, maximal oxygen uptake, lactate