Covid 19 and Cardio-respiratory Fitness
A recent study published in the Obesity Journal ( Obesity / Volume 28 / Number 8 / August 2020 ) posed the following research question:
Does High Cardiorespiratory Fitness Confer Some Protection Against Proinflammatory Responses After Infection by SARS-CoV-2?
The study investigated — “whether a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness induced by prior exercise training may confer some innate immune protection against COVID-19 by attenuating the ‘cytokine storm syndrome’ often experienced by ‘at risk’ individuals”
The study identified — “A subgroup of patients with severe COVID-19 experience ‘cytokine storm syndrome,’ referring to the overproduction of immune cells and cytokines that are associated with a surge of activated immune cells into the lungs, usually 7 to 10 days following the onset of symptoms. In health, cytokines and chemokines play important roles in immunity and immunopathology, but dysregulated and amplified immune responses in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are causative of severe lung damage, respiratory complications, and reduced rates of survival.”
Reported — “Preliminary evidence has suggested that the severity of symptoms associated with COVID-19 and the eventual outcome of being infected with this virus are associated with the health status of individuals prior to infection. Among the factors linked to an increased risk of hospitalization and mortality are overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes; these lifestyle-related diseases, underpinned by patterns of sedentary behavior, poor dietary habits, and a lack of physical exercise, are characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation.”
Conclusion and suggestion — “Given the positive effects of moderate doses of exercise on select immune markers associated with many disease states, we suggest that prior exercise training and high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are likely to be immunoprotective in patients who contract SARS-CoV-2”
The complete study can be found here: Obesity_Vol28_#8_Aug2020