{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T11:14:35Z","timestamp":1784114075927,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,9]],"date-time":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1625788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Limited evidence exists regarding adverse modifications affecting cardiovascular and pulmonary function in physical active adults affected by COVID-19, especially in athletic populations. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in a cohort of competitive athletes, as well as spirometry and echocardiography findings and cardio-respiratory performance during exercise. Methods: Twenty-four competitive athletes with COVID-19 were recruited for this study after ending self-isolation and confirmation of negative laboratory results. All athletes underwent clinical evaluation, spirometry, echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). These data were compared to a group of healthy control athletes. Results: Anosmia was the most frequent symptom present in 70.83% patients, followed by myalgia, fatigue and ageusia. The most frequent persisting symptoms were anosmia 11 (45.83%) and ageusia 8 (33.33%). Compared to controls, COVID-19 patients presented lower FEV1%: 97.5 (91.5\u2013108) vs. 109 (106\u2013116) p = 0.007. Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO2) in COVID-19 patients was 50.1 (47.7\u201351.65) vs. 49 (44.2\u201352.6) in controls (p = 0.618). Conclusions: Reduced exercise capacity was not identified and pulmonary and cardiovascular function are not impaired during early recovery phase in a population of physical active adults except FEV1 reduction.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10143053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,9]],"date-time":"2021-07-09T10:50:38Z","timestamp":1625827838000},"page":"3053","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":57,"title":["Clinical Characteristics, Exercise Capacity and Pulmonary Function in Post-COVID-19 Competitive Athletes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9419-2426","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Klara","family":"Komici","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"},{"name":"Exercise and Sports Medicine Unit, \u201cAntonio Cardarelli Hospital\u201d, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Bianco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"},{"name":"Exercise and Sports Medicine Unit, \u201cAntonio Cardarelli Hospital\u201d, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabio","family":"Perrotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Pneumologia AORN Sant\u2019Anna e San Sebastiano, 81100 Caserta, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Dello Iacono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton G72 0LH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9575-8337","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonardo","family":"Bencivenga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d, 80131 Naples, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vito","family":"D'Agnano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aldo","family":"Rocca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4692-5901","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Bianco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania \u201cL. Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9701-0437","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Rengo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples \u201cFederico II\u201d, 80131 Naples, Italy"},{"name":"Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA Societ\u00e0 Benefit (ICS Maugeri SpA SB), 82037 Telese Terme, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4342-962X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Germano","family":"Guerra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"},{"name":"Exercise and Sports Medicine Unit, \u201cAntonio Cardarelli Hospital\u201d, 86100 Campobasso, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2020, March 11). 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