Care and recommendations to resume exercise if you had COVID-19

 

Those who suffered from coronavirus must rejoin sports in a gradual, adapted and monitored way. Likewise, it is essential to carry out a complete medical check-up to minimize risks.

While for some, COVID-19 was a simple flu, today it is known that it is a disease that can leave sequelae throughout the body, and not only at the respiratory level. In addition to the lungs, the coronavirus can affect the gut, kidneys, brain, and heart. Therefore, it is important that those who had this disease and wish to resume physical activity do so gradually, adapted to their general condition and always under the supervision of a professional.

 

 

Take care of the heart

There is sufficient scientific evidence that shows the consequences of Sars-CoV-2 on the cardiovascular system and that in many cases it is associated with an increase in mortality.

“In the heart muscle, Sars-CoV-2 has a direct and indirect action. Among the most common cardiovascular conditions are myocarditis, pericarditis, pericardial effusion, arrhythmias, venous thromboembolism, heart failure, and heart attacks. All these are pathologies that increase the probability of triggering sudden death ”, explains Dr. Hernán Provera, cardiologist and Head of the Cardiovascular Risk area at INEBA.

For these reasons, the specialist recommends that those recovered patients who wish to resume training should undergo a careful clinical cardiovascular evaluation in combination with laboratory tests and cardiac tests (echocardiogram, cardioresonance, stress test, Holter, among others), depending on their evolution. clinical and initial test results.

“Patients who have been hospitalized for the virus, whether they are athletes or not; and those who were classified as seriously ill, represent a population at higher risk. Even so, in athletes recovering from a coronavirus infection, even without pre-existing diseases, the possible development of long-term cardiovascular complications should be considered, requiring careful monitoring, ”says Dr. Provera.

 

Back on the slopes (with caution)

“How to treat athletes after experiencing COVID-19 and how to safely reintegrate them into physical activity is difficult to answer at this time. What does seem logical is that, in the absence of heart injury, they could be allowed to return to sports activities. We are facing a situation of uncertainty and ignorance of a new disease, with inexperience regarding complications after infection, so decisions are subject to possible changes ”, reflects Provera.

However, and for the moment, to resume physical activity after suffering COVID-19, specialists recommend, as a general rule, a gradual reincorporation adapted to each case. It is also necessary to dose exercise based on lifestyle. This is valid both for those who have high intensity recreational physical activity (medium and long distance runners, triathlon, road cycling, etc.), as well as amateur or professional athletes.

“Following these recommendations is to provide a safety framework to avoid sudden arrhythmic and / or thromboembolic death. The clinical suggestion is that before practicing any sport again, all people who have had coronavirus undergo a medical evaluation, so that the professional analyzes the condition according to the severity of the infection, takes a medical history and requests the corresponding studies that it deems necessary in each case ”, adds the cardiologist. And he adds: "Those who have received the green light to return to the gym should know that it is important that they take it easy and, after two or three months of having resumed exercise, it is advisable to re-evaluate their physical condition."

"What if I didn't have COVID?"

On the other hand, people who did not have coronavirus and want to start physical activity after a year of confinement, should also have a full medical check-up. In this regard, Dr. Valeria El Haj, National Medical Director of OSPEDYC, explains that the basic objectives of these examinations are:

● Detect diseases and / or conditions that put the patient's health at risk; such as detecting a congenital heart disease.

● Identify pathologies that favor the appearance of sports injuries, such as shoulder instability, tendinitis, tibial stress injuries in sports such as tennis, rugby or volleyball, among others.

The specialist explains that an evaluation prior to performing sports activity will include various studies depending on the age of the athlete and the history of own and / or family illnesses.

“Carrying out sports or physical activity is vital for people's psychophysical health, it generates the release of endorphins - a hormone produced by the body and that generates a brain stimulus, providing a feeling of fullness and well-being. A prior medical check-up and the performance of sports under the supervision of professionals reduces the probability of minor injuries to medical tragedies ”, concludes Dr. El Haj.