Nonhospitalized Patients With Post-COVID Condition Tolerate Exercise

FRIDAY, April 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Nonhospitalized patients with post-COVID condition (PCC) tolerate exercise, with preserved cardiovascular function, but have lower aerobic capacity, according to a study published online April 4 in JAMA Network Open.

Andrea Tryfonos, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues conducted a randomized, crossover trial involving nonhospitalized patients without concomitant diseases and with persistent (at least three months) symptoms after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Postexertional symptoms were compared in patients with PCC versus control participants (31 in each group).

The researchers found that at all time points, patients with PCC reported more symptoms than controls. No difference was seen between the groups in worsening of fatigue in response to the different exercises (high-intensity interval training [HIIT], moderate-intensity continuous training [MICT], and strength training). Greater exacerbation of muscle pain after HIIT and more concentration difficulties after MICT were seen for patients with PCC compared with controls. Patients with PCC showed preserved lung and heart function at baseline compared with controls, but had a 21 percent lower peak volume of oxygen consumption and less isometric knee extension muscle strength. PCC patients spent 43 percent less time on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

“Nonhospitalized patients with PCC generally tolerated all exercise types without reporting significant symptom exacerbation, performance reductions, or exacerbated inflammation after 48 hours,” the authors write. “Given that exercise was generally well tolerated, guidelines cautioning against exercise in similar populations may need to be revised.”

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