Post-COVID-19 Condition in Track and Field Master Athletes: Severity, Symptoms, and Associations With Quality of Life...

Here, we assessed the prevalence of post-COVID-condition (PCC, also known as long-COVID) and investigated its associations with health-related quality of life and immune-related biomarkers in track and field masters athletes (MAs). A total of 216 MAs (114 males, 102 females; age: 58.3 ± 11.9 vs. 56.6 ± 11.7 years; BMI: 23.6 [22.2-24.8] vs. 21.3 [20.0-23.6] kg/m²) reported their post-COVID-conditions via the Post-COVID Syndrome Questionnaire (PCSQ). In a subgroup of 108 MAs, fasting blood samples were collected to assess C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a biomarker of immune status (MAs-CRP). Based on their PCSQ sum score, MAs were divided into three groups: no/mild, moderate, and severe. Associations between PCC severity and sex, athletic specialty, and competition level were evaluated using Fisher's exact test. Forty-six (21%) MAs were identified with clinically relevant moderate-to-severe post-COVID-19 conditions (PCSQ score > 10.75). The most frequently reported symptoms included musculoskeletal pain (15%), sleep disturbance (13%), sensory or respiratory symptoms (11%), fatigue (11%), and flu-like symptoms (11%). PCC prevalence did not differ by sex, athletic specialties, training load, or prior competition level (all p > 0.05). MAs with moderate-to-severe PCC had significantly lower physical and mental component scores of quality of life compared with those with no or mild symptoms (p < 0.05). In the MAs-CRP subgroup, self-reported cardiac ailments and flu-like symptoms were significantly and positively associated with CRP levels (Spearman ρ = 0.27-0.30, all p < 0.01). Post-COVID-19 condition is associated with reduced quality of life in track and field masters athletes, independent of sex, prior competition levels, and training characteristics. Furthermore, low-grade inflammation based on CRP levels was associated with self-reported cardiac and flu-like symptoms.