Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness Post-COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

ABSTRACT: Patients recovering from COVID-19 often report symptoms of exhaustion, fatigue and dyspnoea and present with exercise intolerance persisting for months post-infection. Numerous studies investigated these sequelae and their possible underlying mechanisms using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. We aimed to provide an in-depth discussion as well as an overview of the contribution of selected organ systems to exercise intolerance based on the Wasserman gears. The gears represent the pulmonary system, cardiovascular system, and periphery/musculature and mitochondria. Thirty-two studies that examined adult patients post-COVID-19 via cardiopulmonary exercise testing were included. In 22 of 26 studies reporting cardiorespiratory fitness (herein defined as peak oxygen uptake-VO_2peak), VO

SUBMITTER: Schwendinger F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9483283 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature