According to a recent study, high-intensity exercise improves cardiovascular parameters in rheumatoid patients without increasing pain or disease activity. That’s why it’s especially important for people with arthritis to stay healthy and improve their cardiovascular endurance,” says Anja Bye from the Heart Exercise Research Group at the NTNUK.G. Jebsen Center for Sports Medicine. Arthritis affects about one percent of the population, and is about three times more common in women than in men. The majority of patients are adults. Researchers investigated the effects of twice-weekly, 10-week intense cycling training on women with arthritis and found no adverse effects. Instead, we saw a trend toward less inflammation, at least a reduction in levels of the inflammatory marker CRP, and a significant increase in the study participants’ maximum oxygen intake, meaning they had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease,” Bye said. Participants also had a small reduction in BMI, body fat percentage and waist circumference, and an increase in muscle mass. This study is only a preliminary study and included only 18 women between the ages of 20 and 49, so it is not yet possible to change the recommendations for training programs for people with arthritis based on this.