Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Mitochondrial Function and Cellular Metabolic Adaptation in Metabolic Diseases
Published on: October 4, 2024
Reduced athletic performance post-COVID-19 is associated with reduced anaerobic threshold
Robert M Barker-Davies1, Peter Ladlow1, Rebecca Chamley2
1Academic Department of Military Rehabilitation, Loughborough, UK.
Abstract:
Detailed characterisation of cardiopulmonary limitations in patients post-COVID-19 is currently limited, particularly in elite athletes. A male elite distance runner in his late 30s experienced chest pain following confirmed COVID-19. He underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) at 5 months postacute illness. Subjective exercise tolerance was reduced compared with normal, he described inability to 'kick' (rapidly accelerate). His CPET was compared with an identical protocol 15 months prior to COVID-19. While supranormal maximal oxygen uptake was maintained (155% of peak predicted V̇O2) anaerobic threshold (AT), a better predictor of endurance performance, reduced from 84% to 71% predicted peak V̇O2 maximum. Likewise, fat oxidation at AT reduced by 21%, from 0.35 to 0.28 g/min. Focusing exclusively on V̇O2 maximum risks missing an impairment of oxidative metabolism. Reduced AT suggests a peripheral disorder of aerobic metabolism. This finding may result from virally mediated mitochondrial dysfunction beyond normal 'deconditioning', associated with impaired fat oxidation.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance

