{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T03:58:12Z","timestamp":1781323092021,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,25]],"date-time":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1698192000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Commission within the Horizon 2020 framework program","award":["101017424"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101017424"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a multisystemic disorder marked by impaired physical performance as one lead symptom. Since it has been suggested that endurance training as part of medical rehabilitation may be effective in improving physical performance capacity in PCS, this study aimed to compare different modes of aerobic endurance training. Methods: A total of 110 PCS patients (49.3 \u00b1 11.8 years; 38% women; time after infection = 260.2 \u00b1 127.5 days) underwent detailed clinical screening including symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing at admission and after 4\u20136 weeks of inpatient medical rehabilitation. Questionnaires were used to assess disease perception. Patients performed controlled isocaloric cycle ergometer training (3\u20135 sessions\/week; 18 min) as either continuous training (CT) at 50% of maximal workload or as interval training (IT; load = 60%, relief = 30%). Outcomes of PCS patients were compared to coronary artery disease patients (CAD; n = 96) to evaluate overall training effectiveness. Results: Training participation was comparable between the groups, with no indication of training-specific exercise-induced fatigue. Overall, PCS patients improved significantly by a mean of 6.8 \u00b1 12.1% for W at VT1; 3.1 \u00b1 10.0% for VO2 at VT1; 5.5 \u00b1 14.7% for O2 pulse at VT1; 7.5 \u00b1 15.0% for W at VO2peak; 2.7 \u00b1 11.0% for VO2peak and 4.6 \u00b1 12.4% for O2 pulse at VO2peak (all p &lt; 0.05) with no significant differences between groups (p &gt; 0.05). Both groups showed reduced levels of fatigue, anxiety, and depression as well as improved quality of life and wellbeing (all p &lt; 0.05). Compared to guideline-based cardiac rehabilitation, PCS patients showed a similar improvement in workload and oxygen uptake compared to CAD patients. Conclusion: PCS patients benefit from aerobic endurance training performed as moderate continuous or interval training as part of a medical rehabilitation program in terms of improved physical exercise capacity and disease perception. The results for PCS patients are comparable to the guideline-based rehabilitation of CAD patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12216739","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,25]],"date-time":"2023-10-25T06:19:58Z","timestamp":1698214798000},"page":"6739","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["Medical Rehabilitation of Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome\u2014A Comparison of Aerobic Interval and Continuous Training"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6208-7269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Johanna M.","family":"Mooren","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7428-5692","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ren\u00e9","family":"Garbsch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hendrik","family":"Sch\u00e4fer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mona","family":"Kotewitsch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melina","family":"Waranski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5613-6703","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marc","family":"Teschler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boris","family":"Schmitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frank C.","family":"Mooren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"},{"name":"DRV Clinic K\u00f6nigsfeld, Center for Medical Rehabilitation, 58256 Ennepetal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.1055\/a-1551-9734","article-title":"S1-Leitlinie Post-COVID\/Long-COVID [S1 Guideline Post-COVID\/Long-COVID]","volume":"75","author":"Koczulla","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pneumologie"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1007\/s12016-021-08848-3","article-title":"A Review of Persistent Post-COVID Syndrome (PPCS)","volume":"64","author":"Oronsky","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin. 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