Recovery of performance and persistent symptoms in athletes after COVID-19

• Published in: PloS one 2022-12, Vol.17 (12), p.e0277984
• Main Authors: Vollrath, Shirin, Bizjak, Daniel Alexander, Zorn, Jule, Matits, Lynn, Jerg, Achim, Munk, Moritz, Schulz, Sebastian Viktor Waldemar, Kirsten, Johannes, Schellenberg, Jana, Steinacker, Jürgen Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Athletes; Biology and Life Sciences; Body fat; Body mass; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Data Analysis; Exercise; Female; Health aspects; Heart rate; Humans; Infections; Lean body mass; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Parameters; Performance evaluation; Physical Sciences; Questionnaires; Recovery; Respiratory system; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Slopes; Social Sciences; Values; Vanadium oxides; Ventilation; Viral diseases; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277984

After the acute Sars-CoV-2-infection, some athletes suffer from persistent, performance-impairing symptoms, although the course of the disease is often mild to moderate. The relation between cardiopulmonary performance and persistent symptoms after the acute period is still unclear. In addition, information about the development of this relationship is lacking. To assess the prevalence of persistent symptoms over time and their association with the performance capability of athletes. We conducted two cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) in a three months interval with 60 athletes (age: 35.2±12.1 years, 56.7% male) after infection with Sars-CoV-2 (t0: study inclusion; t1: three months post t0). At each examination, athletes were asked about their persistent symptoms. To evaluate the change of Peak VO2/BM (Body Mass) between the time before infection and the first examination, the VO2/BM (predVO2) before infection was predicted based on anthropometric data and exercise history of the athletes. For data analysis, athletes were grouped according to their symptom status (symptom-free, SF; persistent symptoms, PS) and its progression from the first to the second examination 1) SF-SF, 2) PS-SF and 3) PS-PS. Comparing the SF and PS groups at t0, significant differences for Max Power/BM, Max Power/lbm (lean body mass), Peak VO2, Peak VO2/BM, Peak VO2/lbm, Peak VO2/HR, Peak VE, Peak Vt and VE/VCO2-Slope were observed. Regarding the progression over three months, an increase in Max Power/BM was shown in SF-SF and PS-SF (tendency). Max Power/lbm increased in SF-SF and PS-PS (tendency). A decrease of VE/VCO2-Slope in PS-PS was found. COVID-19 led to a decline in performance that was greater in PS than in SF. Additionally, PS had decreased ventilatory parameters compared to SF. Furthermore, an improvement over time was observed in some CPET parameters and a partial recovery was observed judging by the decrease in various symptoms.