Physical Exercise as a Multimodal Tool for COVID-19: Could It Be Used as a Preventive Strategy?

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus not previously recognized in humans until late 2019. On 31 December 2019, a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unspecified etiology was reported to the World Health Organization in China. The availability of adequate SARS-CoV-2 drugs is also limited, and the efficacy and safety of these drugs for COVID-2019 pneumonia patients need to be assessed by further clinical trials. For these reasons, there is a need for other strategies against COVID-19 that are capable of prevention and treatment. Physical exercise has proven to be an effective therapy for most chronic diseases and microbial infections with preventive/therapeutic benefits, considering that exercise involves primary immunological mediators and/or anti-inflammatory properties. This review aimed to provide an insight into how the implementation of a physical exercise program against COVID-19 may be a useful complementary tool for prevention, which can also enhance recovery, improve quality of life, and provide immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in the long term. In summary, physical exercise training exerts immunomodulatory effects, controls the viral gateway, modulates inflammation, stimulates nitric oxide synthesis pathways, and establishes control over oxidative stress.

Glycophosphopeptical AM3 Food Supplement: A Potential Adjuvant in the Treatment and Vaccination of SARS-CoV-2

“…In athletes, strenuous exercise (elite competitive sport) has been associated with changes in cytokine production, specifically with increases in plasma concentrations of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-a to supra-physiological levels (3,72). The functional and potentially clinical significance of competitive sport-induced alterations in inflammatory cytokines results in generalized inflammation of the body, tissue damage, myalgia, alteration of the immune system (susceptibility to infection), fever, and chronic fatigue (73).…”

“…SARS-CoV-2 infection causes a wide range of symptoms. While a sizable number of patients present flu-like symptoms, others develop a severe condition associated with respiratory distress and pneumonia (3). These cases are also characterized by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), renal failure, septic shock or multi-organ failure, conditions that generally require hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and/or mechanical ventilation (4) and a multisystem inflammatory syndrome (5).…”

Protective role of physical activity patterns prior to COVID-19 confinement with the severity/duration of respiratory pathologies consistent with COVID-19 symptoms in Spanish populations

“…Actually, in a recent review, authors concluded that PA has been proven an effective therapy for most chronic diseases, including COVID-19. Consequently, PA could be helpful to regulate physiological systems, such as the inflammatory response and antioxidant defence (Fernández-Lázaro et al, 2020). Indeed, following a respiratory pathology such as COVID-19, there is a drastic reduction in physical strength and fitness, and physical rehabilitation interventions are required to promote recovery post infection (Rooney et al, 2020).…”

Relação entre atividade física, COVID-19 e imunidade: Uma revisão de literatura

“…A explicação está relacionada ao aumento do débito cardíaco e do fluxo sanguíneo que interagem de forma mecânica com o endotélio e aumentam a concentração de leucócitos circulantes na corrente sanguínea (Damiot, Pinto, Turner & Gualano, 2020;Silveira et al, 2021). Ressalta-se, ainda, que as imunidades inatas e adaptativas são afetadas positivamente pelo exercício físico, conferindo maior proteção contra infecções, inclusive as virais; ademais, a imunidade humoral também é afetada promovendo maior resposta à vacinação (Renasinghe, Ozemek & Arena, 2020;Fernández-Lázaro et al, 2020) e, o exercício físico, se realizado por mais de seis meses, previne a disfunção imunológica relacionada à senescência e à inflamação crônica, o que pode significar um provável fator protetor contra as complicações decorrentes da COVID-19 (Renasinghe, Ozemek & Arena, 2020;Damiot, Pinto, Turner & Gualano, 2020).…”

“…Outros estudos, os quais relacionaram o exercício aeróbico e a SARS-CoV-2, revelaram que o aumento da capacidade aeróbia pode fortalecer a imunidade à medida que estimula a função das células imunológicas, neutraliza a ansiedade e a depressão, aumenta a elasticidade e força pulmonar e ainda minimiza os fatores de risco desse vírus (Mohamed & Alawna, 2020), já que a Sars-CoV-2 permite a ativação e a liberação de citocinas inflamatórias, como IL-6, proteína C reativa (PCR) e dímero D; além de causar disfunção endotelial, levando à diminuição da produção de óxido nítrico-sintase endotelial (eNOS) e, consequentemente, do óxido nítrico (NO). De forma que a prática de atividade física frequente pode minimizar tais efeitos inflamatórios do vírus, provavelmente, porque reestabelece a liberação de NO, diminuindo, assim, a disfunção endotelial e favorecendo a vasodilatação pulmonar (Nigro et al, 2020;Fernández-Lázaro et al, 2020).…”