Exercise Interventions to Address Sarcopenia in People with Multiple Myeloma: A Scoping Review

TL;DR

This review examines how exercise might help reduce muscle loss in people with multiple myeloma, finding limited but promising evidence.

Contribution

The study is the first scoping review to evaluate exercise interventions for sarcopenia in multiple myeloma patients.

Findings

Exercise improved muscle strength, physical performance, and muscle quantity in some studies.

Few studies used internationally recognized criteria to assess sarcopenia.

Variability in study design and outcomes made it difficult to compare results.

Abstract

Sarcopenia, a condition involving loss of muscle strength and quality, is common in people with multiple myeloma. Exercise may help counteract these effects, but research in this area is limited. We reviewed published studies to see how exercise has been studied for people with multiple myeloma and whether sarcopenia outcomes were included. Twelve studies met our criteria, involving 967 participants (624 with multiple myeloma). While all studies measured physical performance, fewer measured muscle strength, quantity, or quality, and none directly assessed sarcopenia as defined by international standards. Some studies found that exercise improved performance, muscle strength, and quantity, but the results varied widely. Differences in exercise programs, outcome measures, and the timing of interventions made comparisons difficult. More large, well-designed studies are needed to understand the role of exercise in preventing or treating sarcopenia in people with multiple myeloma.

Background: The clinical characteristics of sarcopenia, including low muscular strength, are commonly seen among people with multiple myeloma. A scoping review was conducted to explore the role of exercise as a potential countermeasure for sarcopenia in this population. Our objectives were to (1) describe the design and findings of the studies and (2) identify the outcomes used in exercise-related studies to characterize sarcopenia. Methods: A systematic search (to March 2025) was conducted for published studies involving exercise or physical activity for individuals with multiple myeloma using key databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus). Results: Of 971 articles reviewed, 12 articles were included, involving 967 total participants and 624 with multiple myeloma. All 12 studies included a measure for muscle physical performance, 9 studies included measures for muscular strength, and 7 studies included measures for muscle quantity/quality. Five studies reported a significant improvement from exercise for measures of muscular strength, four studies reported a significant benefit for physical performance, and three studies reported a benefit in muscle quantity. Few studies included outcomes that met all the international criteria recommended to characterize sarcopenia. Conclusions: Further multicentre research trials are needed to better understand whether and how exercise may be helpful for people with multiple myeloma, especially in the context of sarcopenia.

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