Comparison of cardiopulmonary fitness level with normal values after COVID-19 and evaluation of factors affecting physical capacity
2 Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye DOI : 10.5606/tftrd.2025.15374 Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether exercise capacity changes following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), to clarify its relationship with age, sex, physical activity, disease severity, and comorbidities, and to identify the factors affecting exercise capacity.
Patients and methods: Between June 2021 and June 2022. A total of 132 participants (61 males, 71 females; mean age: 43.3±12.4 years; range, 24 to 74 years) who were older than 18 years and had a history of COVID-19 were included at least 30 days after the recovery of all COVID-19 symptoms. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, six-minute walk test, pulmonary function tests, and cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed.
Results: Of the study population, 23.1% had decreased exercise capacity 86 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis. Younger age (p=0.049), male sex (p=0.003), and disease severity (p=0.007) were related to lower VO2max (adjusted R2=0.132, p<0.001). Compared to individuals with normal exercise capacity, in those with decreased exercise capacity, vital capacity (p<0.001), forced vital capacity (p=0.002), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (p=0.006), and maximum voluntary ventilation (p=0.027) were lower, and the anaerobic threshold was reached earlier (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The exercise capacity of certain individuals was low nearly three months after COVID-19. Younger age, male sex, and COVID-19 severity were related to low exercise capacity. Respiratory dysfunctions and physical inactivity-induced deconditioning were the factors affecting exercise capacity.
Keywords : Cardiopulmonary exercise test, COVID-19, exercise tolerance, pulmonary function tests, six-minute walk test