Effects of Combined Exercise Training on Symptoms and Physical Fitness in Young Adults with Mild Long COVID
- Author:
Tae Gu CHOI
1
;
Jae Yeop KIM
;
Ho Jeong MIN
;
Hyun Jeong KIM
;
Kanokwan BUNSAWAT
;
Setor K KUNUTSOR
;
Kevin S HEFFERNAN
;
Sae Young JAE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Clinical Article
- From:The Korean Journal of Sports Medicine 2025;43(1):1-12
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:The aim of this study was to examine whether a combined exercise (EX), including aerobic, resistance, and inspiratory muscle training, reduces fatigue and dyspnea, improves physical fitness, and if increased physical fitness after exercise is associated with attenuating symptoms in young adults with mild long coronavirus disease (COVID) symptoms.
Methods:Twenty-eight young adults (aged 23±4 years) with long COVID were randomly assigned to either the EX group (n=14), which underwent aerobic, resistance, and inspiratory muscle training three times per week for 8 weeks, or the control (CON) group (n=14). Symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue were assessed using self-report questionnaires.Cardiorespiratory fitness was directly measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing, while muscle strength was measured by isokinetic muscle testing. These variables were measured before and after the exercise intervention.
Results:Compared to the CON group, the EX group showed improvements in symptoms of fatigue and dyspnea, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2peak ), and peak torque, with significant interaction effects observed (p＜ 0.05). The EX group exhibited a mean difference of 2.9 mL/kg/min in VO2peak (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8−4.0) and 13.0 Nm (95% CI, 6.1−19.8) in peak torque compared to the CON group (p＜0.05). Improvements in VO2peak were negatively associated with attenuations in both fatigue and dyspnea after the exercise intervention (p＜0.05).
Conclusion:These findings indicate that EX training can effectively alleviate symptoms and improve physical fitness in young adults with mild long COVID. Structured exercise training may serve as an effective intervention to improve the health of those with long COVID.
