The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on Athletic Performance in Recovered and Uninfected COVID-19 Athletes during Post-COVID-19 Period

Abstract

Background:  The global COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced athletes worldwide. Objectives:  This research aims to investigate the effects of a 4-week aerobic exercise program on athletic performance in both recovered and uninfected COVID-19 athletes during the post-COVID-19 period. Methods:  Fourteen male student-athletes aged 18 - 25 years from Imam Khomeini International University participated in this study. The participants comprised 7 recovered COVID-19 athletes and 7 athletes with no prior COVID-19 infection. The study employed a pre-test/post-test design conducted in 2 phases. During the pre and post-test phases, participants underwent baseline assessments of athletic performance, including maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂ max) and anaerobic power. Subsequently, the participants engaged in a 4-week aerobic exercise intervention. Pre- and post-intervention outcomes within groups were compared using paired t-tests, while independent t-tests were utilized for comparisons between the recovered COVID-19 athlete group and the uninfected athlete group. Results:  Independent t-tests demonstrated significant increases in VO₂ max and peak power after 4 weeks of aerobic exercise in both the recovered COVID-19 group (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001) and the uninfected COVID-19 group (P = 0.012, P = 0.001). However, dependent t-tests revealed a significant difference between the recovered COVID-19 group and the uninfected COVID-19 group in the post-test of VO₂ max (P = 0.044) and peak power (P = 0.001). Conclusions:  This study indicates that a 4-week aerobic exercise regimen can improve athletic performance in both recovered and uninfected COVID-19 athletes. However, recovered COVID-19 athletes exhibited a notably slower rate of improvement compared to their uninfected counterparts. Therefore, it is recommended that, in addition to aerobic exercise, recovered athletes integrate supplementary strategies to optimize their return-to-sport timeline and maximize performance recovery.