The Protective Potential of Exercise Training on the Cardiopulmonary Morbidity After COVID-19

The Protective Potential of Exercise Training on the Cardiopulmonary Morbidity After COVID-19

40 COVID-19 survivors that have been discharged from the hospital will be included in this investigator-blinded randomised study with a 12-week exercise intervention. Patients will be 1:1 block-randomised by sex to either a supervised high intensity interval-based exercise group or standard care (control group).

40 patients will be recruited and undergo baseline testing, including examination, biochemistry, ECG, DXA, OGTT, Pulmonary function, VO2max, RM, plasma volume, AX3, CGM, echocardiography, cardiac MRI.

After baseline testing, participants will be randomly allocated into one group receiving standard of care (control group) or a group performing supervised high-intensity interval training three times a week over a period of 12 weeks. The randomization procedure involves a computer-generated block randomization schedule in a ratio of 1:1 stratified by sex by an independent person. Following the 12-week intervention period, both groups will complete a series of follow-up tests (as baseline testing). A 1-year follow-up experimental day is also planned in order to evaluate fitness, cardiac and pulmonary structure and function.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 40 years
• A laboratory-confirmed initial positive test followed by one negative tests of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ≤ 6 months after hospital discharge
• ≤10 L oxygen requirement during hospitalization

Exclusion Criteria:

• Present atrial fibrillation
• Diagnosed with acute myocarditis
• Health conditions that prevent participating in the exercise intervention
• Patients who cannot undergo MR scans (e.g. kidney disease or metallic implants)
• Treatment with IL-6 receptor antagonists (tocilizumab, kevzara) within the last month due to drug interference with the cardiopulmonary exercise adaptations.