The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Zouganeli, Virginia; Dimopoulos, Stavros; Briasoulis, Alexandros; Karkamanis, Achilleas; Panagiotopoulos, Panagiotis; Karatzanos, Eleftherios; Boumpas, Dimitrios T.; Vasileiadis, Ioannis; Nanas, Serafim; Kourek, Christos

doi:10.3390/jcm14197031

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Open AccessSystematic Review

The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

by

Virginia Zouganeli

^1,†,

Stavros Dimopoulos

¹

,

Alexandros Briasoulis

²

,

Achilleas Karkamanis

³,

Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos

³,

Eleftherios Karatzanos

¹

,

Dimitrios T. Boumpas

⁴,

Ioannis Vasileiadis

¹

,

Serafim Nanas

¹ and

Christos Kourek

^1,*,†

¹

Clinical Ergospirometry, Exercise & Rehabilitation Laboratory, 1st Critical Care Medicine Department, Evangelismos Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece

²

Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece

³

Department of Cardiology, 417 Army Share Fund Hospital of Athens (NIMTS), 11521 Athens, Greece

⁴

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, “Attikon” University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(19), 7031; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14197031 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 22 September 2025 / Revised: 1 October 2025 / Accepted: 2 October 2025 / Published: 4 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE))

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with impaired functional capacity, persistent fatigue, and poor health-related quality of life despite advances in pharmacological therapy. Exercise training has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention, but its efficacy and safety remain incompletely defined. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training on functional aerobic capacity and quality of life in adults with SLE. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PEDro was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials published up to October 2022, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials involving 619 participants were included. Exercise interventions were heterogeneous and comprised aerobics, resistance, combined programs, vibration training, home-based protocols, and counseling strategies, with durations ranging from 6 weeks to 12 months. Supervised aerobic and combined interventions consistently improved functional aerobic capacity, while quality of life benefits were reported across several domains, particularly physical health, vitality, and fatigue. Additional positive effects were observed on fatigue, depression, pain, sleep, insulin sensitivity, and self-care ability, without evidence of increased disease activity. Conclusions: Structured exercise is safe and can meaningfully enhance functional capacity and quality of life in patients with SLE, supporting its incorporation into multidisciplinary clinical management.

Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus; exercise training; functional capacity; quality of life; outcomes

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zouganeli, V.; Dimopoulos, S.; Briasoulis, A.; Karkamanis, A.; Panagiotopoulos, P.; Karatzanos, E.; Boumpas, D.T.; Vasileiadis, I.; Nanas, S.; Kourek, C. The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 7031. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14197031

AMA Style

Zouganeli V, Dimopoulos S, Briasoulis A, Karkamanis A, Panagiotopoulos P, Karatzanos E, Boumpas DT, Vasileiadis I, Nanas S, Kourek C. The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(19):7031. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14197031

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zouganeli, Virginia, Stavros Dimopoulos, Alexandros Briasoulis, Achilleas Karkamanis, Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos, Eleftherios Karatzanos, Dimitrios T. Boumpas, Ioannis Vasileiadis, Serafim Nanas, and Christos Kourek. 2025. "The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 19: 7031. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14197031

APA Style

Zouganeli, V., Dimopoulos, S., Briasoulis, A., Karkamanis, A., Panagiotopoulos, P., Karatzanos, E., Boumpas, D. T., Vasileiadis, I., Nanas, S., & Kourek, C. (2025). The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(19), 7031. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14197031

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The Effects of Exercise Training on Functional Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

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