Table 3.

Characteristics of exercise program in included RCT´s

Study	Description of exercise intervention	Intervention start post-surgery	Duration of rehabilitation	Training frequency [per week]	Session duration	Overall training sessions	Intensity / control of intensity	Adherence in training sessions / (serious) Adverse events
Anderson et al. 2012	a) supervised strength and cardiovascular training b) supervised and home-based strength and cardiovascular training c) voluntarily supervised training + home-based training	a) 4–12 weeks b) after a c) after b	a) 12 weeks b) 12 weeks c) 24 weeks	a) 2x b) > 1x c) voluntarily	65 min		a) Resistance training: 50% established 1RM weekly increased by 1–5lbs; cardiovascular training: 14–16 RPE	71.2% R:0–97
Bøhn et al. 2021*	a) Group-based moderate to high aerobic and strength exercise b) home-based exercise	21–28 days	48 weeks	a) 2x b) 120 min	a) 60 min		VO2max not described in detail
Cantarero-Villanueva et al. 2016	Core stabilization exercises	12.0 ± 7.4 months 14.6 ± 10.0 months	8 weeks	3x	20–30 min	22.0 ± 1.1	RPE	88.36% / IG: 2, CG: 1
Courneya et al. 2003	Supervised cycle ergometry sessions	IG: 14 ± 6 months CG: 14 ± 7 months	15 weeks	3x	Wk1-3: 25 min; increased by 5 min every third week	44.3	5 min warm-up + cool-down 50% of VO2max; training intensity at 70–75% of VO2max	98.4% / Adverse events: IG: 20,8% CG: 7.1%
Courneya et al. 2007	a) supervised aerobic exercise (AET) b) supervised resistance exercise (RET) − 9 exercises á 2 sets á 8–12 reps	Not given	Mean: 17 weeks	3x	a) Wk1-3: 25 min; increased by 5 min every third week		a) 60% of VO2max wk1-6, 70% of VO2max wk 7–12, 89% of VO2max wk > 12 b) 60–70% of 1RM increased by 10% if 12 reps completed	AET: 72% RET: 68.2% / Adverse events: 2
Falz et al. 2023	Home-based, bodyweight strength-endurance training	Not given	24 weeks	2-3x	30 min	1.5 sessions per week (36 overall sessions)	Entity-specific, individually performance adapted and heart rate limited; targeted 5–8 CR10 scale	56.4% Adverse events: 18
Lee et al. 2017	a) home based endurance exercise b) home based resistance exercise	IG: 10.7 ± 8.8 CG: 8.8 ± 7.2	12 weeks	Daily	b) 30 min		3000 steps with HR > 65% of estimated HRmax, 18–27 MET-hours per week	> 18 MET-hours: 86.3% 27 MET-hours: 74.5%
Lin et al. 2013*	Group based supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise	37.8 (16.4) days	12 weeks	2x	40–60 min	24	Increasingly from 40–75 of HRmax	73% (17.3)
Murtezani et al. 2014	supervised group moderate intensity aerobic exercise program	19.0 ± 6.9 vs. 19.1 ± 4.8	10 weeks	3x	25 min		Increasingly from 50–75 of estimated HRmax and from 25 min to 45 min
Mutrie et al. 2007	a) group based supervised diverse exercise b) home based exercise session	Not given	12 weeks	a) 2x b) 1x	45 min		50–72% of age adjusted HRmax
Travier et al. 2015	supervised combined aerobic and muscle strength training	within 10 weeks post diagnosis	18 weeks	2x	60 min		different aerobic methods according to HR on ventilatory threshold + strength exercises between 45–75% of 1RM (increasing repetitions or intensity)	83% (IQR: 69–91%)
Van Vulpen et al.2016	supervised combined aerobic and muscle strength training	within 10 weeks post diagnosis	18 weeks	2x	60 min		different aerobic methods according to HR on ventilatory threshold + strength exercises between 45–75% of 1RM (increasing repetitions or intensity)	89% (IQR: 72–97%)

Mean and standard deviation are presented. Other data (median MD, 95% Confidence interval 95%CI; interquartile range IQR; Range R) are marked

HR max maximal reached heart rate, 1RM one repetition maximum, RPE rating of perceived exertion, CR-10 Category-Ratio Scale anchored at 10, MET metabolic equivalent of task, MAP maximal aerobic power

*Excluded for meta-analysis