Effectiveness of Exercise Interventions on Body Composition, Exercise Capacity, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Diminished muscle protein synthesis in cirrhosis leads to reduced strength and mass, impacting daily activities and overall quality of life.

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of exercise intervention in body composition, exercise capacity, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis.

A systematic search of medical databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL, was executed from their inception to November 2022. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials comparing exercise interventions with a control group that did not receive exercise interventions.

From the initially identified 2,565 articles, eight studies with a total of 220 patients were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. According to the meta-analysis, exercise significantly improved the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) by 68.93 m (95% CI 14.29–123.57) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis revealed that combing exercise with amino acid supplementation had a greater positive effect on the 6MWD (MD = 144.72, 95% CI 87.44–202.01). Exercise also significantly increased thigh circumference (MD = 1.26, 95% CI 0.12–2.39) and the thigh ultrasound average compression index (MD = 0.07, 95% CI 0.00–0.14). Moreover, exercise significantly decreased fatigue levels by 0.7 points in patients with liver cirrhosis (95% CI 0.38–1.03). However, no significant effects were observed on body mass index (BMI), fat mass, fat-free mass, and quality of life.

Exercise can improve exercise capacity, thigh muscle thickness, and fatigue in patients with cirrhosis, but it does not have a significant impact on fat mass, BMI, or quality of life.