The adaptive force as a potential biomechanical parameter in the recovery process of patients with long COVID
- Long COVID patients show symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle weakness and pain. Adequate diagnostics are still lacking. Investigating muscle function might be a beneficial approach. The holding capacity (maximal isometric Adaptive Force; AFisomax) was previously suggested to be especially sensitive for impairments. This longitudinal, non-clinical study aimed to investigate the AF in long COVID patients and their recovery process. AF parameters of elbow and hip flexors were assessed in 17 patients at three time points (pre: long COVID state, post: immediately after first treatment, end: recovery) by an objectified manual muscle test. The tester applied an increasing force on the limb of the patient, who had to resist isometrically for as long as possible. The intensity of 13 common symptoms were queried. At pre, patients started to lengthen their muscles at ~50% of the maximal AF (AFmax), which was then reached during eccentric motion, indicating unstable adaptation. At post and end, AFisomax increased significantly to ~99% and 100% ofLong COVID patients show symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle weakness and pain. Adequate diagnostics are still lacking. Investigating muscle function might be a beneficial approach. The holding capacity (maximal isometric Adaptive Force; AFisomax) was previously suggested to be especially sensitive for impairments. This longitudinal, non-clinical study aimed to investigate the AF in long COVID patients and their recovery process. AF parameters of elbow and hip flexors were assessed in 17 patients at three time points (pre: long COVID state, post: immediately after first treatment, end: recovery) by an objectified manual muscle test. The tester applied an increasing force on the limb of the patient, who had to resist isometrically for as long as possible. The intensity of 13 common symptoms were queried. At pre, patients started to lengthen their muscles at ~50% of the maximal AF (AFmax), which was then reached during eccentric motion, indicating unstable adaptation. At post and end, AFisomax increased significantly to ~99% and 100% of AFmax, respectively, reflecting stable adaptation. AFmax was statistically similar for all three time points. Symptom intensity decreased significantly from pre to end. The findings revealed a substantially impaired maximal holding capacity in long COVID patients, which returned to normal function with substantial health improvement. AFisomax might be a suitable sensitive functional parameter to assess long COVID patients and to support therapy process…
| Author details: | Laura SchaeferORCiDGND, Frank BittmannORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13050882 |
| ISSN: | 2075-4418 |
| Title of parent work (English): | Diagnostics |
| Publisher: | MDPI |
| Place of publishing: | Basel |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of first publication: | 2023/02/25 |
| Publication year: | 2023 |
| Release date: | 2023/03/24 |
| Tag: | Adaptive Force; biomechanical parameter; holding capacity; long COVID fatigue; maximal isometric Adaptive Force; muscle function; muscle weakness; neuromuscular control; post COVID syndrome |
| Volume: | 13 |
| Issue: | 5 |
| Article number: | 882 |
| Number of pages: | 25 |
| Funding institution: | Universität Potsdam |
| Funding number: | PA 2023_026 |
| Organizational units: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften / Department Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften |
| DDC classification: | 6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
| Grantor: | Publikationsfonds der Universität Potsdam |
| Publishing method: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
| External remark: | Zweitveröffentlichung in der Schriftenreihe Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe ; 823 |
