Consultable a partir de

2025-11-22

Date

2024-11-22

Director

Publisher

Oxford University Press
Acceso embargado / Sarbidea bahitua dago
Artículo / Artikulua
Versión aceptada / Onetsi den bertsioa

Project identifier

AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PID2020-113098RB-I00/ES/recolecta
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No disponible en Scopus

Abstract

Background: the post-COVID-19 condition is a novel condition for which guidelines recommend supervised exercise, but evidence guiding safe and effective interventions is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a tailored exercise program (EXER-COVID 5 trial) on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, long COVID symptoms, cognitive performance, quality of life, depression, and psychological distress. Methods: this crossover study included 100 participants with post-COVID-19 conditions (mean 8 age 48 years; 68% women) at a single center in Spain from March 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022. Participants were randomized 1:1 to 6 weeks of muscle power resistance training (PRT) followed by 6 weeks of usual care (Group 1 [AB], n=50) or 6 weeks of usual care followed by 6 weeks of muscle power RT (Group 2 [BA], n=50). Results: the intervention significantly improved the peak VO2 by 2.10 mL/kg/min [95% CI 1.25 to 2.94], P<0.001. Per-protocol analyses revealed similar results (2.40 mL/kg/min [95% CI 1.56 to 3.25]), P<0.001. No carry-over or period effects were detected. After power PRT, strength (1RM) was improved for pectoral press, bilateral leg-press, knee extension, and back press (P<0.001). Significant decreases were found in psychological distress scores (P<0.001). The intervention also improved quality of life (P=0.041), cognitive capabilities (P=0.014) and cognitive performance (P=0.036). Furthermore, the exercise program reduced seven of the 22 long-COVID symptoms, including weakness (RR= 0.75) dyspnea (RR= 0.56), hearing loss/tinnitus (RR= 0.86), change in appetite (RR= 0.84), memory loss (RR= 0.84), stress (RR= 0.80) and apathy/depression (RR= 0.80), (all Ps<0.05). Conclusions: a supervised 6-week PRT intervention program safely improved cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and mental health in participants with post-COVID-19 conditions. These findings provide clinicians with evidence to support exercise as standard co-therapy and warrant further study.

Description

Keywords

Rehabilitation, Physical activity, Resistance training, Long COVID

Department

Ciencias de la Salud / Osasun Zientziak / Ciencias humanas y de la educación / Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak

Faculty/School

Degree

Doctorate program

item.page.cita

Ramírez-Vélez, R., Oteiza, J., Legarra-Gorgoñon, G., Oscoz-Ochandorena, S., García-Alonso, N.: García-Alonso, Y., Correa-Rodríguez, M., Soto-Mota, A., Izquierdo, M. (2024) Exercise training in long COVID: the EXER-COVID trial. European Heart Journal, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae721.

item.page.rights

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in European Heart Journal following peer review.

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