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Effect of a 6-Week Structured Exercise Intervention on TNF-α During the Chronic Recovery Phase of a Burn Injury Compared to Regular Daily Activities: A Pilot Randomised Cross-Over Trial

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Brook Galna

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2026 by the authors. Background: Burn injury induces a prolonged inflammatory response that may contribute to long-term metabolic dysfunction. Exercise is known to reduce inflammation in various clinical populations; however, its effect on chronic post-burn inflammation remains unclear. This crossover trial investigated the impact of a 6-week exercise intervention on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in adults with non-severe burns sustained more than one year prior. Methods: Twenty-one participants were randomised to complete either a 6-week exercise program or a control period first, separated by a 4-week washout. The exercise program comprised three supervised sessions per week of combined resistance and cardiovascular training. Primary (TNF-α) and secondary (muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness) outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results: Fifteen participants completed the protocol with high adherence (90.4%). Exercise significantly improved quadriceps strength and cardiovascular fitness, confirming the intervention’s safety and efficacy in this cohort. However, TNF-α concentrations were not elevated at baseline and did not significantly change following exercise compared with control (mean difference: +0.5 pg·mL−1, p = 0.249). Exercise is safe and beneficial for non-severely burned patients who sustained their injury > 1 year ago. However, inflammation was not elevated in this cohort, precluding our ability to test the effects of exercise on chronic inflammation.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Osborne TJ, Rowe G, Edgar DW, Fear M, Wood FM, Fairchild T, Galna B, Kenworthy P, Wall B

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: European Burn Journal

Year: 2026

Volume: 7

Issue: 1

Online publication date: 12/02/2026

Acceptance date: 10/02/2026

Date deposited: 14/04/2026

ISSN (electronic): 2673-1991

Publisher: MDPI

URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ebj7010011

DOI: 10.3390/ebj7010011

Data Access Statement: The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article/Supplementary Material. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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