{"id":17057,"date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/exercise-intolerance-long-covid-6755241\/"},"modified":"2022-10-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T00:00:00","slug":"exercise-intolerance-long-covid-6755241","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/exercise-intolerance-long-covid-6755241\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long COVID May Be Affecting Your Workouts\u2014And What to Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> \nLong COVID can drastically reduce a person\u2019s capacity for exercise and physical activity\u2014so much so that researchers of a new study say exercise intolerance should be considered another symptom of post-COVID conditions.\n<\/p>\n \nThe suggestion comes from a recent review published in JAMA Network Open<\/em>, for which researchers analyzed 38 different studies on how long COVID affects exercise.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nTheir takeaway: Physical activity can feel much more difficult for people with the condition\u2014sometimes taking away up to a decade\u2019s worth of exercise ability\u2014compared to those who had an acute case of COVID, but recovered.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201c[This] roughly translates to the expected decrease in exercise capacity by aging one decade,\u201d lead study author Matthew Durstenfeld, MD, MAS, a cardiologist and clinical researcher in the department of medicine at the University of California, told Health<\/em>. This could look like going from the ability to do light jogging, to only being able to do a brisk walk, he added.\n<\/p>\n \nWhile this may not be the case for everyone with long COVID,\u00a0it does show that long COVID\u2019s impact on exercise is varied and can be extreme.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cAs this is an average, some people experience no decrease in exercise capacity at all,\u201d said Dr. Durstenfeld, \u201cand others experience a really profound decrease in what activities they can do.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Linked to Higher Risk of Developing Long Covid, Study Shows<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nGenerally speaking, exercise intolerance is the reduced ability to perform typical physical activity, according to Fidaa Shaib, MD, an associate professor of medicine and director of the Baylor College of Medicine\u2019s Post COVID Clinic. \n<\/p>\n \nIt\u2019s associated with heart and lung function, and is a common symptom of many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and heart failure.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nRegarding long COVID and exercise intolerance, Dr. Durstenfeld said that he and his colleagues looked into the connection after seeing participants of another study\u2014the Long-Term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus study\u2014regularly report that they weren\u2019t able to exercise as much or at the same intensity as they had before having COVID.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cFor some, it was going from being an elite cyclist to \u2018normal,\u2019 and for others from being able to exercise normally to inability to do their regular activities,\u201d said Dr. Durstenfeld. \u201cWe wanted to see what other researchers had found and\u2026compare.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nTo do that, researchers analyzed 38 different studies with a total of 2,160 participants, and ultimately homed in on nine studies including 464 individuals with symptoms of long COVID and 359 without.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThe studies relied on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to measure exercise capacity\u2014specifically their peak oxygen consumption (V\u0307o2<\/sub>).\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nResearchers found differences in the peak Vo2<\/sub> among people who had symptoms of long COVID more than three months after a bout of COVID, and those who did not.\n<\/p>\n \nThis reduced exercise capacity, according to Dr. Durstenfeld, equates to patients exercising at the level they would if they were 10 years older. According to an NPR interview, Dr. Durstenfeld agreed that it could look like a 40-year-old person exercising as though they had the capacity of a 50-year-old.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nResearchers also said the reduced exercise capability goes beyond just deconditioning, or the physiological changes that come after a period of inactivity; people also experienced dysfunctional breathing, chronotropic incompetence (inability to increase heart rate during exercise), and impaired oxygen uptake and utilization.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nBut, like with most information surrounding long COVID, much is still unknown about the condition\u2014including its connection to exercise intolerance.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cNo single mechanism emerged\u201d as to why long COVID contributes to a decrease in exercise capacity, said Dr. Durstenfeld. He and his colleagues concluded that more research needs to be done on the connection, but that exercise intolerance should be considered a potential symptom of long COVID.\n<\/p>\n Long COVID Symptoms May Include Hair Loss and Sexual Dysfunction, Study Shows<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nBecause reduced exercise capability linked to long COVID is more than a deconditioning problem, people aren\u2019t able to simply begin exercising again and easily work their way back to their pre-COVID levels.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt is clear that patients impacted with post-COVID conditions cannot easily go to their baseline level of activity,\u201d said Dr. Shaib. \u201cGoing back to exercise should be a gradual but well-informed process.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nA discussion with your healthcare provider may be warranted before you try to jump back in. This could look like a cardiopulmonary exercise test\u2014similar to what was used in the studies\u2014to determine where your reduced capacity is stemming from, and how to tackle the issue in a safe and effective way.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAnd when you do finally hop back into exercise, it\u2019s essential to take things as easily as possible\u2014and pay attention to your body.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWe have a lot of patients who get really fatigued with a small amount of activity and can\u2019t do any more activity after that,\u201d Jimmy Johannes, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, told Health<\/em>. \u201cYou really have to meter out your activity.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nWhile it\u2019s unclear how long exercise intolerance can affect those with long COVID, researchers say as more information about the condition surfaces, so too will potential therapies and treatment options\u2014all of which can help people with long COVID begin moving as they\u2019re used to once again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo: Getty Images Fast Facts Long COVID can negatively affect a person's capacity for exercise, new research shows. Researchers say exercise intolerance\u2014or the diminished capacity for exercise\u2014should be considered a symptom of long COVID. People with long COVID who are having difficulty exercising should contact their healthcare provider to come up with a treatment plan. 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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nFast Facts<\/h3>\n
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Decreased Exercise Capacity and Long COVID <\/span> <\/h2>\n
How to Manage Exercise Intolerance Due to Long COVID\u00a0 <\/span> <\/h2>\n