THURSDAY, May 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise and nutrition-based prehabilitation programs reduce length of stay (LOS) and complications in patients undergoing surgery, according to a study published online April 29 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Catherine T. Cascavita, M.D., from the University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of exercise and nutrition-based prehabilitation on postoperative outcomes, including length of stay (LOS), complications, quality of life (QoL), pain, and mental health.
A total of 23 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, with 2,182 participants. The researchers found that compared with standard treatment, exercise or nutrition-based prehabilitation reduced complications (odds ratio, 0.52) and LOS (mean difference [MD], –0.44 days). When comparing interventions, a greater reduction in LOS was seen for nutrition-only versus exercise-only (MD, –1.09 versus –0.20 days). QoL was not reported in nutrition-only RCTs, but compared with standard treatment, exercise alone improved QoL measures (standardized MD, 0.94).
"Both nutritional and exercise-based prehabilitation programs can improve recovery after surgery, but each may offer different benefits," Cascavita said in a statement. "More research is needed to determine which type of program works best for individual patients and their specific surgery."
One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
