Journal of Advances in Para-Sport Science
A peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal dedicated to the advancement of sports sciences for individuals with diverse abilities

The effect of exercise intervention on fatigue and quality of life in individuals with sarcoidosis; a systematic review

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Masoume Khosropanah 1
Ali Livani 2
Ebrahim Ebrahimi 3

1 Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Exercise Physiology, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

3 Department of Corrective Exercise & Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

APSS/apss.2026.2081900.1018
Abstract
This systematic review synthesized current evidence on the effects of exercise-based interventions on fatigue and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in adults with sarcoidosis. Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to December 2025. Six studies comprising 11–57 participants across varying disease stages met inclusion criteria. Exercise interventions were generally safe and feasible, including high-intensity resistance training. Across studies, structured exercise and pulmonary rehabilitation consistently improved exercise capacity, muscle strength, dyspnea, and HR-QoL. Reductions in fatigue were observed in several interventions; however, fatigue outcomes were heterogeneous and not always correlated with physiological improvements. Physical activity levels were more associated with exercise capacity and HR-QoL than with fatigue severity, underscoring the multifactorial nature of fatigue in sarcoidosis. Future research should employ standardized fatigue measures, larger samples, and longer follow-up to optimize exercise prescription and address the complex symptom profile of this population.

Keywords

Pulmonary rehabilitation
Physical activity
Chronic inflammatory disease
Quality of life
Systematic review
Subjects
Journal of Advances in Para-Sport Science
Volume 6, Issue 1 - Serial Number 14
This issue is now published.
February 2026
Pages 43-55

  • Receive Date 24 December 2025
  • Revise Date 08 February 2026
  • Accept Date 14 February 2026
  • First Publish Date 14 February 2026
  • Publish Date 17 February 2026