PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY BEFORE AND AFTER EXERCISE IN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC-FATIGUE-SYNDROME

We measured physical activity after strenuous exercise in 20 women wit h chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), compared to 20 sedentary healthy vol unteers who exercised no more than once per week. Activity was measure d for 2 weeks using a portable waist-worn vertical accelerometer. Afte r the first week of activity monitoring, all participants returned for a maximal treadmill test, followed by continued activity monitoring f or the second week. five activity measures were derived from the data: (i) average activity; (ii) total activity; (iii) duration of waking d ay; (iv) duration; and (v) number of daily rests. A repeated measures ANCOVA was used to determine post-treadmill group differences accounti ng for pre-treadmill differences. There was a significant reduction in overall average activity after the treadmill test, with the greatest decrease on days 12 through 14. This reduction was accompanied by a si gnificant increase in the duration of the waking day and number of dai ly rests. Thus, marked exertion does produce changes in activity, but later than self-report would suggest, and are apparently not so severe that CFS patients cannot compensate.