Changes in Functional Performance During and After a Supervised Exercise Programme in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Secondary Uncontrolled Longitudinal Study

Background: Exercise is clinically relevant for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), but participation in structured programmes is often intermittent. This exploratory study described changes in functional and exercise-related outcomes during and after a supervised exercise programme. Methods: This secondary uncontrolled longitudinal analysis included 20 adults with MS who had three consecutive assessments: before (T1) and after (T2) a 12-week programme comprising two weekly 60-min supervised sessions, and after an approximately three-month period without supervised training. Outcomes included functional performance, gait parameters, fatigue and exercise-testing outcomes. Linear mixed-effects models were used as the main longitudinal analysis, with paired Wilcoxon tests as complementary comparisons. Results: The median 2-Minute Walk Test distance increased from 121 m at baseline to 126 m after the programme and was 125 m at follow-up. The corresponding mixed-model estimate for T2 versus T1 was 5.00 m (95% CI: −0.29 to 10.29; p = 0.063), whereas the paired comparison yielded p = 0.046. Achieved workload, VO2 estimated using the FRIEND equation, and percentage of predicted VO2 achieved showed numerical increases after the programme, but these changes were not statistically significant. Most other outcomes remained broadly stable, with heterogeneous individual trajectories. Conclusions: Modest within-group changes were observed in selected walking and exercise-test-derived outcomes, but the findings were not consistently supported across statistical approaches. Given the small sample and absence of a control group, the results should be considered exploratory and cannot establish programme effectiveness or programme-related preservation of function.