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Associations Between Pre-Quarantine Exercise and Persistent Symptoms After SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Nikola Schmidt1, Kira Engl2, Barbara Grüne2
1Department for Physical Activity in Public Health, Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Physical activity (PA) may protect against long-term COVID-19 symptoms. However, this study found no significant link between exercise intensity or duration and the odds of developing persistent symptoms after infection.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Long-term symptoms post-SARS-CoV-2 infection (e.g., fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment) pose a significant societal burden.
- Risk factors include female sex, smoking, comorbidities, and socioeconomic deprivation.
- Physical activity (PA) is explored as a potential protective factor, despite its impact across all population groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of physical activity duration and intensity on the likelihood of experiencing long-term symptoms after COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 5413 individuals post-acute COVID-19 infection.
- Recorded exercise type, duration, and intensity in the four weeks prior to quarantine.
- Determined odds of long-term symptoms (>12 weeks post-infection), adjusted for demographics, health status, and acute COVID-19 outcomes.
Main Results:
- 10.4% of participants reported long-term symptoms.
- Individuals with long-term symptoms reported longer exercise duration pre-quarantine (p=0.019).
- Higher exercise intensity (MET/day) showed a non-significant association with increased odds of long-term symptoms after Bonferroni-Holm correction.
Conclusions:
- While moderate PA may be protective for post-COVID-19 condition, this study found neither PA intensity nor duration predicted long-term symptoms.
- Further research is needed to identify specific exercise parameters that promote physical and mental health and prevent/improve long-term outcomes post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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