A study published in the journal Nature Communications has suggested that individuals with long Covid should avoid intense exercise as it may damage their muscles and worsen metabolism. The research focused on a distinctive symptom of long Covid known as post-exertional malaise, which involves a worsening of fatigue- and pain-related symptoms after physical or mental exercise. The study involved 25 participants with long Covid who reported experiencing malaise after exercise, along with 21 individuals who had recovered fully from a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. None of the participants had been hospitalized.
The researchers conducted blood and skeletal muscle biopsies before and after a maximal exercise test to understand the biological factors contributing to the limited exercise capacity and post-exertional malaise in long Covid. The results were then compared with those from 21 age- and sex-matched controls who had fully recovered from a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The findings revealed that people with long Covid exhibited lower exercise capacity than healthy participants. All long Covid patients experienced post-exertional malaise after maximal exercise, with symptoms including muscle pain, severe fatigue, and cognitive symptoms persisting up to seven days post-exercise. The study participants performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer, and it was observed that maximal oxygen uptake and peak power output were significantly lower in long Covid patients despite marked variability among patients.
The study’s co-author, Dr. Rob Wüst from VU University Amsterdam, explained that the findings indicated internal issues within the body caused by the disease. The research suggests that long Covid patients may have a lower exercise capacity due to muscle damage and worsened metabolism, potentially explaining the persistence of muscle pain and fatigue weeks after exercise.
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