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Gloeckl R, Zwick RH, Fürlinger U, Schneeberger T, Leitl D, Jarosch I, Behrends U, Scheibenbogen C, Koczulla AR. Practical Recommendations for Exercise Training in Patients with Long COVID with or without Post-exertional Malaise: A Best Practice Proposal. SPORTS MEDICINE - OPEN 2024; 10:47. [PMID: 38658496 PMCID: PMC11043268 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-024-00695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
People with long COVID may suffer from a wide range of ongoing symptoms including fatigue, exertional dyspnea, reduced exercise performance, and others. In particular, impaired exercise performance is a condition that can be recovered in many people through an individualized physical exercise training program. However, clinical experience has shown that the presence of post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a significant barrier to physical exercise training in people with long COVID. Currently, there is no guideline or consensus available on how to apply exercise training in this cohort. Therefore, we conducted a literature review in the PubMed library using the following search terms: "COVID", "post-COVID", "long COVID" and "exercise" searching for studies from January 2020 to January 2024. Data from 46 trials were included. Exercise training regimes were very heterogeneous and none of these studies reported on the management of PEM in the context of an exercise training program. Based on the feedback from an additional survey that was answered by 14 international experts in the field of exercise training in long COVID, combined with the authors´ own extensive practical experience, a best practice proposal for exercise training recommendations has been developed. This proposal differentiates exercise procedures according to the presence of no, mild/moderate or severe PEM in people with long COVID. These recommendations may guide allied healthcare professionals worldwide in initiating and adjusting exercise training programs for people with long COVID, stratified according to the presence and severity of PEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Gloeckl
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Ralf H Zwick
- Therme Wien Med, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Fürlinger
- Therme Wien Med, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tessa Schneeberger
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Daniela Leitl
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Inga Jarosch
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Uta Behrends
- Childrens' Hospital, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Rembert Koczulla
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany.
- Teaching Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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Dierckx W, De Backer W, De Meyer Y, Lauwers E, Franck E, De Backer J, Ides K. Personalized pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: A proof-of-concept retrospective study. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e15931. [PMID: 38296347 PMCID: PMC10830387 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-COVID patients present with a decline in physical fitness. The aim of this study is to reveal the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on physical fitness, quality of life (QoL), and parameters of quantified thorax CT. Long-COVID patients enrolled in a 3-month PR program were retrospectively studied. PR included endurance and resistance training three times a week. Assessments pre- and post-rehabilitation included quantified chest CT, pulmonary function tests (PFT), six-minute walk test (6MWT), cardiopulmonary exercise test, and questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale, Borg score, and EuroQol. Seventeen subjects (5M/12F), mean age 42 ± 13 years, were included. PR improved all questionnaires' results significantly. Only significant difference in PFT parameters was correlation between baseline total lung capacity (TLC) and difference in TLC pre- and post-rehabilitation (p = 0.002). 6MWT increased from 329 to 365 m (p < 0.001), VO2max changed from 21 to 24 mL/kg/min (p = 0.007), peak load increased from 116 to 141 Watt (p < 0.001). Blood volume in small pulmonary vessels of 1.25 to 5 mm2 in cross-sectional area (BV5%) was higher than observed in patients with acute COVID-19 infection. After rehabilitation, BV5% decreased from 65% to 62% (p = 0.020). These changes correlated directly with changes in TLC (p = 0.039). Quantified CT airway volume increased after rehabilitation (p = 0.013). After rehabilitation, TLC tended to normalize due to (re)opening of small airways, with decline in air trapping and recruitment of alveoli. Furthermore, this study revealed that pulmonary rehabilitation can improve QoL and physical fitness in long-COVID patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendel Dierckx
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Multidisciplinary Medical CentreMedImprove BVKontichBelgium
| | - Wilfried De Backer
- Multidisciplinary Medical CentreMedImprove BVKontichBelgium
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- FLUIDDA NVKontichBelgium
| | - Yinka De Meyer
- Multidisciplinary Medical CentreMedImprove BVKontichBelgium
- Clinical OperationsFLUIDDA NVKontichBelgium
| | - Eline Lauwers
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Clinical OperationsFLUIDDA NVKontichBelgium
| | - Erik Franck
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Kris Ides
- Multidisciplinary Medical CentreMedImprove BVKontichBelgium
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- CoSys Research Lab, Faculty of Applied EngineeringUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Flanders Make Strategic Research CentreLommelBelgium
- Department of PaediatricsAntwerp University HospitalEdegemBelgium
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Mińko A, Turoń-Skrzypińska A, Rył A, Rotter I. The Impact of Comprehensive Rehabilitation on the Exercise Capacity of Patients after COVID-19. Adv Respir Med 2023; 91:504-515. [PMID: 37987299 PMCID: PMC10660722 DOI: 10.3390/arm91060037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a complex disease that affects multiple body systems, including the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and muscular systems. It is estimated that approximately half of the patients after the treatment for COVID-19 experience persistent symptoms that lead to a decreased physical capacity. Scientific recommendations suggest that cardiovascular and respiratory rehabilitation programs should be implemented in patients who have completed treatment for COVID-19. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of comprehensive rehabilitation on the exercise capacity of patients after COVID-19 treatment. The study included 146 patients after the treatment for COVID-19 who were eligible for therapeutic rehabilitation. The exercise capacity was assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The results showed that patients who underwent rehabilitation had an average increase of 23.83% in their 6MWT score compared to the baseline. A comprehensive rehabilitation program including breathing exercises, aerobic training, and strength and endurance exercises is an effective intervention that can improve the physical capacity of patients after COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Mińko
- Department and Unit of Medical Rehabilitation and Clinical Physiotherapy, Pomeranian Medical University, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland; (A.T.-S.); (A.R.); (I.R.)
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