Running Participation in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

CONTEXT: Exercise benefits people with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, most research focuses on gym or home-based aerobic and strength training. Little is known about how individuals with MS participate in dynamic sports like running. We aimed to quantify running participation over a 4-week period in individuals with MS and investigate whether running volume and training characteristics were associated with fatigue, disability, cognition, and quality of life.

DESIGN

A prospective observational cohort study.

METHODS

We included 29 participants from Australia who were regular runners with MS. Participants recorded their running frequency, intensity, duration, distance, and mode (indoor/outdoor/treadmill) over 4 weeks. Associations between participants' running activities, and measures of fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale), disability (Patient Determined Disease Steps), cognition (Psytoolkit online cognitive assessment), and physical and mental health (Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54) were assessed using Spearman or Kendall τ b correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

Participants with low to moderate disability demonstrated a broad range of running ability (range: average distance 2-13 km and 16-95 min per run). Most ran outdoors on combination surfaces (concrete, grass, and trail). Negative correlations were observed between fatigue and running distance (r = -.382, P = .041) and running duration (r = -.365, P = .052). Positive correlations were observed between running distance and quality of life, physical health (r = .380, P = .042), and mental health (r = .375, P = .045). Correlations were not significant after applying the corrected significance value of P < .0025.

CONCLUSION

Regular running is feasible for individuals with MS with low to moderate disability. Participants demonstrated the ability to run despite differing levels of fatigue, cognitive function, and disability. Participants could engage in outdoor running under conditions considered challenging for those with MS. A relationship between running distance, duration, fatigue, and quality of life was identified; however, the findings were not statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons.