Haley C A, Torres G, Olivier B, Van Aswegen H
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Department of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
S Afr J Sports Med. 2024 Jan 15;36(1):v36i1a18872. doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2024/v36i1a18872. eCollection 2024.
Endurance sports primarily attract recreational athletes over 35 years, who impose an exceptionally rigorous and sustained demand on their cardiorespiratory systems.
This study aimed to determine the influence of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and skeletal muscle function of endurance athletes with exercise intolerance. Secondly, it aimed to compare the exercise response of endurance athletes post-COVID-19 to those unaffected using cardiopulmonary exercise test-related variables.
This is a prospective observational cohort study of endurance athletes. An exposure group with protracted exercise tolerance underwent a resting lung function test and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. These were repeated after eight weeks of endurance training and compared to the published reference values and a control group of athletes unaffected by COVID-19.
The post-COVID-19 exposure group (n=57), mean age 44.5±8.1years showed a poorer ventilatory threshold (p=0.004), and workload (p=0.05), with higher respiratory exchange ratio (p=0.05) than the control group (n=34), mean age 41.8±7.7 years. Maximal inspiratory pressure improved at follow-up in the COVID-19 group compared to the controls (p=0.03). Increased odds of pulmonary and skeletal muscle limitation to aerobic capacity were found in the COVID-19 group. The COVID-19 group responded positively to endurance training with improved VOpeak (p=0.005), maximal inspiratory pressure (p=0.04), oxygenpulse (p=0.02), and maximal workload (p<0.001).
COVID-19 has led to pulmonary and extrapulmonary limitations to exercise capacity. Tailored intensity and duration of physical activity are vital after COVID-19 to restore skeletal muscle health. This multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach will optimise the resumption of participation in long-distance events.
耐力运动主要吸引35岁以上的业余运动员，他们对自身心肺系统有着异常严格且持续的需求。
本研究旨在确定新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）对有运动不耐受的耐力运动员心血管、肺和骨骼肌功能的影响。其次，旨在使用心肺运动试验相关变量比较COVID-19康复后的耐力运动员与未受影响运动员的运动反应。
这是一项针对耐力运动员的前瞻性观察队列研究。对一组有长期运动耐力的暴露组进行静息肺功能测试和最大心肺运动测试。在进行八周耐力训练后重复这些测试，并与已发表的参考值以及未受COVID-19影响的运动员对照组进行比较。
COVID-19暴露组（n = 57，平均年龄44.5±8.1岁）与对照组（n = 34，平均年龄41.8±7.7岁）相比，通气阈值更差（p = 0.004）、工作量更低（p = 0.05），呼吸交换率更高（p = 0.05）。与对照组相比，COVID-19组在随访时最大吸气压力有所改善（p = 0.03）。在COVID-19组中发现肺和骨骼肌对有氧能力限制的几率增加。COVID-19组对耐力训练有积极反应，峰值摄氧量（p = 0.005）、最大吸气压力（p = 0.04）、氧脉搏（p = 0.02）和最大工作量（p<0.001）均有所改善。
COVID-19导致了运动能力的肺和肺外限制。COVID-19康复后，量身定制的体力活动强度和持续时间对于恢复骨骼肌健康至关重要。这种多学科康复方法将优化恢复参与长跑赛事。
