Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training in People Who Have Had COVID-19 Disease

Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Quality of Life, Physical and Pulmonary Function and Psychological Status in Patients Who Have Had COVID-19 Disease

The main objective of the present study is to observe the short-term effects of respiratory muscle training applied by telerehabilitation on quality of life and exercise tolerance in people who have had the COVID-19 disease. As secondary objectives, the effects on respiratory muscles strength/tolerance, pulmonary function and psychological and cognitive factors.

It is a double-blind randomized clinical trial study. Each participant will be randomly assigned to one of the following groups: 1) Inspiratory muscle training, 2) Placebo Inspiratory muscle training, 3) Inspiratory muscle training + Expiratory muscle training, 4) Placebo Inspiratory muscle training + Expiratory muscle training.

Each exercise training program will be applied twice per day 7 sessions per week during 8 weeks by a threshold device. The evening sessions will be supervised by a physiotherapist through a virtual platform.

Participants received baseline assessments at the beginning of the intervention, at the end of the 4th week, and post-intervention assessments at the end of the 8th week.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Positive diagnosis of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2)
• Hospital admission for COVID-19 in the last 3 months
• Stable phase and home discharge;

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cognitive impairment
• Any type of musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac or respiratory disease where training is contraindicated
• Inability to carry out the training program through telematic supervision.