Table 1.

Effects of exercise on disease activity, inflammation, metabolism, and muscle characteristics in patients with adult myositis (exercise studies published during 2016–2018)

Study/design	Diagnosis/patients, n/disease activity HC, n	Exercise/duration/frequency	Load/intensity, % of max/VRM	Disease activity compared to HCs where applicable/responders, n	Physical capacity/self-reported outcomes	Inflammation and gene expression/metabolic changes
Alemo Munters et al. 2016/RCT [36••]	PM, DM EG n = 6 CON n = 7 established	Aerobic, endurance/12 weeks/3 days/week	70%/VO2max/1 × 30–40 VRM	6-Item core set EG: Resp. n = 5 CON: Resp. n = 1	Muscle endurance (biking test to exhaustion on 70%/max: EG: resp. n = 6 CON: resp. n = 0 VO2max: EG: resp. n = 4 CON: resp. n = 0	EG (altered gene expr. in 270 genes) Upregulation: capillary growth, mitochondrial biogenesis, protein synthesis, cytoskeletal remodeling, muscle hypertrophy. Downregulation: inflammation/immune response and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Higher number of capillaries per mm2 (P < 0.05). CON (altered expr. In 227 genes) Upregulation: IFN signaling, apoptosis
Jörgensen A et al. 2017/case report [35•]	IBM, n = 1	Blood-flow restricted quadriceps resistance training, cuff pressure 100 mmHG/12 weeks	25 VRM/4–5 45 s bouts	CK: unchanged	Quadriceps IMVC: + 60% Quadriceps CPM: unchanged knee AROM: + 68% 10-m max gate speed: + 19% TUG: Unchanged	–
Jörgensen A et al. 2018/RCT [36••]	IBM, n = 22 BFR, n = 11 CON, n = 11	Blood-flow restricted resistance quadriceps training, cuff pressure 110 mmHG/12 weeks	25 VRM/4–5 45 s bouts	MDAAT: Pat. Global BFR/CON: unchanged Phys. Global BFR: reduced (p = 0.047) CON: reduced (p = 0.004) CK BFR: unchanged CON: reduced (p = 0.04) HAQ Pat. Global BFR/CON: unchanged MMT Pat. Global BFR/CON: unchanged MDI Pat. Global BFR: reduced (p < 0.001) CON: unchanged Phys. Global BFR: reduced (p = 0.03) CON: reduced (p < 0.001)	SF-36 PF: no between or within group differences IBMFRS: BFR: + 3.7%/CON: − 2.1 between-group (p = 0.018) Quadriceps strength: BFR: + 5.8% (p = 0.30) CON: − 9.2% (p = 0.02)

PM polymyositis, DM dermatomyositis, IBM inclusion body myositis, HCs healthy controls, EG exercise group, CON control group, BFR blood-flow restricted, VO_2max maximal oxygen uptake, VRM voluntary repetition maximum, IMVC isometric voluntary contraction, CPM concentric power maximum, AROM active range of motion, MDAAT myositis disease activity assessment tool, Pat. Global patient global assessment, Phys. Global physician global assessment, CK creatine phosphokinase, HAQ health assessment questionnaire, MMT manual muscle test, SF-36 PF SF-36 physical function, IBMFRS inclusion body myositis functional rating scale, IFN interferon, TUG timed-up and go