CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int J Sports Med 2022; 43(12): 1043-1051
DOI: 10.1055/a-1866-6092
Training & Testing

The Effects of Exercise Therapy Moderated by Sex in Rehabilitation of COVID-19

Linda Rausch 
1   Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
,
Bernhard Puchner
2   Department of Rehabilitation Research, Rehab Center Muenster, Muenster, Austria
,
Jürgen Fuchshuber
3   Grüner Kreis Society, Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Vienna, Austria
4   University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
,
Barbara Seebacher
2   Department of Rehabilitation Research, Rehab Center Muenster, Muenster, Austria
,
Judith Löffler-Ragg
5   Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
,
Stephan Pramsohler
6   associated to University of Innsbruck, Hermann Buhl Institute for Hypoxia and Sleep Medicine Research, Lenggries, Germany
,
Nikolaus Netzer
6   associated to University of Innsbruck, Hermann Buhl Institute for Hypoxia and Sleep Medicine Research, Lenggries, Germany
7   Department Medicine, Division Sports Medicine, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
8   Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, EURAC Research, Bolzano, Italy
,
Martin Faulhaber
1   Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
› Author Affiliations Funding The study is supported by the Early-Stage-Funding-Program of the University of Innsbruck financing travel expenses to and from the Clinic for Rehabilitation in Münster, Austria.
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Abstract

Standardized exercise therapy programs in pulmonary rehabilitation have been shown to improve physical performance and lung function parameters in post-acute COVID-19 patients. However, it has not been investigated if these positive effects are equally beneficial for both sexes. The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes of a pulmonary rehabilitation program with respect to sex differences, in order to identify sex-specific pulmonary rehabilitation requirements. Data of 233 post-acute COVID-19 patients (40.4% females) were analyzed before and after a three-week standardized pulmonary rehabilitation program. Lung function parameters were assessed using body-plethysmography and functional exercise capacity was measured by the Six-Minute Walk Test. At post-rehabilitation, females showed a significantly smaller improvement in maximal inspiration capacity and forced expiratory volume (F=5.86, ω2=.02; p<0.05) than males. Exercise capacity improvements between men and women did not differ statistically. Females made greater progress towards reference values of exercise capacity (T(231)=−3.04; p<0.01) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (T(231)=2.83; p<0.01) than males. Sex differences in the improvement of lung function parameters seem to exist and should be considered when personalizing standardized exercise therapies in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Key words

exercise therapy - rehabilitation - sex characteristics - COVID-19 - respiratory function tests - six-minute walk test


Publication History

Received: 10 March 2022

Accepted: 19 May 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
01 June 2022

Article published online:
19 July 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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