Recreational runners who recovered from COVID-19 show different running kinetics and muscle activities compared with healthy controls.
Amir Ali Jafarnezhadgero, Milad Piran Hamlabadi, Heidar Sajedi and 1 others
PMID 34775229WHAT IT FOUND
Runners who recovered from severe COVID-19 showed altered mechanics compared to healthy controls.
They had higher lateral forces and faster loading rates at heel strike, plus different muscle activation patterns. These changes are linked to injury risk, suggesting a need for specific reconditioning.
Key findings
01The COVID-19 group exhibited higher peak lateral ground reaction forces during heel contact and higher peak vertical and medial forces during push-off compared to controls.
02Runners with a history of COVID-19 showed a significantly shorter time to reach peak vertical ground reaction force during heel contact, indicating higher loading rates.
03Muscle activity differed during running, with the COVID-19 group showing higher gastrocnemius medialis and lower vastus medialis activity during early stance, and higher gluteus medius activity during late stance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (40 participants total), which limits the generalizability of the findings. The study included only young adults (20-30 years) who had severe, hospitalized COVID-19, so results may not apply to those with mild symptoms or different age groups. The cross-sectional design cannot determine if the observed changes are a direct result of the virus, deconditioning from hospitalization, or other factors. Testing occurred only two weeks after hospitalization, which may not reflect long-term recovery patterns.
Declared interests
The authors declared no specific funding from public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these biomechanical changes are permanent or that they apply to all post-COVID patients. The study only looked at runners two weeks after being hospitalized for severe symptoms, and the small sample size means these findings need replication before they can guide standard care.