Effect of Whole-body Electromyostimulation Combined With a High Protein Diet in Malnourished Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often suffer from muscle weakness and a low bone mineral density as a consequence of systemic Inflammation and disease treatment limiting Quality of life in a considerable way. Exercise interventions to build up muscle mass and increasing physical function are promising Tools to improve the whole muscular Status of those patients. However, in the acute Phase of IBDs conventional Training methods may be too strenous, also because patients are suffering from acute gastrointestinal symptoms and feel fatigued. Due to those symptoms, patients present low Food intake and great loss of nutrients and energy especially by diarrhea. Individualized nutritional Support may be helpful to avoid malnutrition. The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the effect of a combined exercise and Nutrition Intervention using the gentle Training method of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) combined with a individual high Protein nutritional Support on muscle mass, Body composition, physical function, Quality of life and gastrointestinal symptoms in outpatients with IBD.