Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Volleyball Athletes Following a COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Athletes’ lifestyles have been dramatically affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system and to a lesser degree the cardiovascular system, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of COVID-19-caused detraining on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of recently recovered volleyball athletes. Sixteen experienced volleyball athletes (age 24 ± 4.5 years) who were recently diagnosed and recovered from a COVID-19 infection volunteered to participate in this study and were tested for CRF and spirometry. Given that participants had only mild symptoms of infection, the primary focus of this study was on the effects of detraining on CRF. On average, the time to exhaustion was 9.4 ± 1.4 min. VE, VCO2, RER and oxygen pulse increased, heart rate exceeded 90% of predicted values, and peak VO2 values were typical for this level of athlete (44.1 ± 3.4 mL/kg). Pulmonary function reflected in FVC, FEV1/FVC and MVV values were well above 80% of predicted values for each of the participants while electrocardiography revealed no ischemia, arrythmias or conduction and repolarization abnormalities were found in the tested subjects. Conclusions: participants experienced typical consequences of detraining. Due to a lack of CRF data prior to COVID-19 infection, we were unable to estimate the magnitude detraining had on CRF. Complete CRF assessment after COVID-19 infection in athletes can be useful for screening of residual myocardial and/or respiratory system damage for safe return-to-play decisions.

Sustained Impairment in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Capacity Testing in Patients after COVID-19: A Single Center Experience

“…In this context, Milovancev et al evaluated professional volleyball players three weeks after convalescence of COVID-19. While this cohort is thought to be well trained before SARS-CoV-2 infection, peak V̇O 2 /kg was deteriorated likewise in CPET [ 60 ], allowing for a concept of EC limitation pathogenesis after COVID-19 beyond pre-existing mitochondrial density and physical training.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Preparation for the Tokyo Olympics: A Comprehensive Performance Assessment of Top Swimmers

“…They were unable to estimate the effect of detraining on their performance, as they had had no baseline examination before COVID-19 infection. They also did not have a non-COVID control group at the same training status [ 34 ]. A study investigated the effect of an eight-week lockdown period on ten elite male handball players.…”

Performance of Professional Soccer Players before and after COVID-19 Infection; Observational Study with an Emphasis on Graduated Return to Play

“…Few studies have evaluated the impact of COVID-19 infection on the cardiorespiratory systems of athletes [ 15 , 16 ]. One such study was conducted on female volleyball players and found that pulmonary function after COVID infection was above 80% of the predicted values for each of the participants, although electrocardiography did not find signs of ischemia, arrythmias, or conduction or repolarization abnormalities [ 16 ]. The authors concluded that the studied athletes experienced the typical consequences of missing training for a period of time.…”

“…Despite the importance of information about the influence of COVID-19 infection on an athlete’s physical capacities, very few studies have looked at the impact of COVID-19 infection on the working capacities of athletes [ 15 , 16 ]. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, no study has thus far examined the influence of COVID-19 infection on the performance of athletes in real sport settings.…”