Resistance Training and Clinical Status in Patients With Post Discharge Symptoms After Covid-19
Condition: Covid19; SARS-CoV2; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Stress, Psychological; Pain, Chronic
MeSH terms: COVID-19; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Chronic Pain; Stress, Psychological
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      COVID-19 survivors commonly exhibit a marked extra-respiratory complication affecting the
      cardiac (arrhythmias and myocardial injury), renal (acute kidney injury), gastrointestinal,
      nervous (neuropathy, encephalopathy), endocrine and musculoskeletal (weakness, pain, and
      fatigue) systems. In this context, several studies have found that resistance training
      intervention promotes important health-related benefits, including cardiac function, compared
      to aerobic exercise training. Other exercise adaptations include increased skeletal muscle
      metabolism function, yet physio/psychological adaptations are known to be limited in COVID-19
      survivors. Hence, given that resistance training intervention is implemented in a manner that
      is tolerable to the individual patient, it may be a potential beneficiary "personalized"
      rehabilitation treatment for patients with COVID-19 syndrome ambulatory.

      The "EXER-COVID Clinical Study" project aims at determining the role of personalized exercise
      intervention in the treatment of post-COVID-19 syndrome ambulatory patients.
    

Detailed description: 
      100 patients will be recruited and undergo baseline testing, including examination, immune
      systems, biochemistry markers, ECG, DXA, metabolic/respiratory function, VO2max, muscular
      fitness, lipidomic/inflammatory/oxidative markers and psychological outcomes.

      After baseline testing, participants will be randomly allocated into one group receiving
      standard of care (control group) or a group performing personalized resistance training
      intervention two times a week over a period of 6 weeks. The randomization procedure involves
      a computer-generated block randomization schedule in a ratio of 1:1 stratified by an
      independent person. Following the 8-week intervention period (with a 1-week washout period),
      both groups will complete a series of follow-up tests (as baseline testing). A 12-week
      follow-up experimental day is also planned in order to evaluate physio/psychological changes.
    

Intervention name(s): Resistance training; Standard care
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will complete a 2-days-a-week training routine: Resistance training (RT, 50-75% 1RM (one-repetition maximum), 4 sets, 8-12 repetitions, 4 exercises). The warn up include Light Intensity Continuous Training (8-10 min, 65-70% HRR). Progressions will be individualized and consistent with patient tolerance. Sessions will be supervised by Physiotherapists and Graduated in Sports Sciences.; This group will be allocated to standard care and therefore no supervised exercise regimen according to scientific guidelines for general physical activity and return to sport provided by the ACSM guidelines for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Cardiovascular Disease.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research