Feasibility Assessment of Cardiovascular Endurance Training for the Symptomatic Improvement of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients With a Sedentary and Non-active Lifestyle.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 18 - 60 years;
• Fulfilling the ROME IV criteria for Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS);
• Moderate symptom severity as defined by a IBS-Symptom Severity Scale > 175;
• Sedentary lifestyle defined as SIT-Q-7D > 8h/day;
• Physically inactive defined as < 150min/week on the IPAQ score

Exclusion criteria

• Cardiorespiratory disorder hampering participation in a program of physical exercise as evidenced by the sport + keuringsartsen (SKA) questionnaire.
• Clinical suspicion of an organic disorder different from IBS (patients can be included when this disorder had been excluded);
• Known inflammatory bowel disorder;
• Known intestinal motility disorder;
• Alcohol (defined as more than 14 U per week) or other substance abuse;
• Active psychiatric disorder;
• Known systemic or auto-immune disorder with implication for the GI system;
• Prior abdominal surgery (with the exception of appendectomy or cholecystectomy more than 6 months ago);
• Any prior diagnosis of cancer other than basocellular carcinoma;
• Current chemotherapy;
• History of gastro-enteritis in the past 8 weeks;
• Change in diet in the past 8 weeks;
• Dietary supplements unless taken at a stable dose for more than 8 weeks;
• Antibiotics, pre-, pro-, post-biotics or any combination during the past 8 weeks;
• Treatment with neuromodulators (one neuromodulator taken at a stable dose for more than 12 weeks is allowed);
• Treatment with spasmolytic agents, opioids, loperamide, gelatine tannate or mucoprotect-ants during the past 8 weeks.