TY - JOUR
AU - Komici, Klara
AU - Bianco, Antonio
AU - Perrotta, Fabio
AU - Dello Iacono, Antonio
AU - Bencivenga, Leonardo
AU - D'Agnano , Vito
AU - Rocca, Aldo
AU - Bianco, Andrea
AU - Rengo, Giuseppe
AU - Guerra, Germano
PY - 2021
DA - July
TI - Clinical characteristics, exercise capacity and pulmonary function in post-COVID-19 competitive athletes
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
VL - 10
IS - 14
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10143053
AB - Background: Limited evidence exists regarding adverse modifications affecting cardiovascular and pulmonary function in physical active adults affected by COVID-19, especially in athletic populations. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in a cohort of competitive athletes, as well as spirometry and echocardiography findings and cardio-respiratory performance during exercise.  Methods: Twenty-four competitive athletes with COVID-19 were recruited for this study after ending self-isolation and confirmation of negative laboratory results. All athletes underwent clinical evaluation, spirometry, echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). These data were compared to a group of healthy control athletes.  Results: Anosmia was the most frequent symptom present in 70.83% patients, followed by myalgia, fatigue and ageusia. The most frequent persisting symptoms were anosmia 11 (45.83%) and ageusia 8 (33.33%). Compared to controls, COVID-19 patients presented lower FEV1%: 97.5 (91.5–108) vs. 109 (106–116) p = 0.007. Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO2) in COVID-19 patients was 50.1 (47.7–51.65) vs. 49 (44.2–52.6) in controls (p = 0.618).  Conclusions: Reduced exercise capacity was not identified and pulmonary and cardiovascular function are not impaired during early recovery phase in a population of physical active adults except FEV1 reduction.
PB - MDPI
UR - https://research-portal.uws.ac.uk/en/publications/8b6b11c4-4544-469b-9102-bff1e0eda012
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER