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AIMS Public Health

2025, Volume 12, Issue 4: 1026-1034. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025051
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Research article

Comparison of physical fitness in youth with post-COVID-19: A study of individuals with and without symptoms

  • 1.
    Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand
  • 2.
    Unit of Excellence of Human Performance and Rehabilitations, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand, Phayao 56000, Thailand
  • 3.
    Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand
  • Published: 22 October 2025

  • This study aims to examine differences in physical fitness among young adults in three distinct groups: individuals with long COVID, those who had recovered from COVID-19 without lingering symptoms, and healthy individuals with no history of infection. A total of 105 participants were equally divided into the three groups (n = 35 each). Evaluations included handgrip strength for upper body strength, handheld dynamometry for quadricep strength, and a six-minute walk test (6MWT) to assess the cardiorespiratory performance. Participants with long COVID demonstrated significantly lower handgrip strengths compared to the control group. Additionally, both post-COVID groups showed reduced 6MWT distances and elevated post-exercise physiological responses, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, perceived exertion, and leg fatigue, regardless of symptom persistence. These findings indicate that individuals recovering from COVID-19, especially those with persistent symptoms, exhibit measurable declines in muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, along with heightened physiological stress during physical activity.

    Citation: Patchareeya Amput, Sirima Wongphon. Comparison of physical fitness in youth with post-COVID-19: A study of individuals with and without symptoms[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2025, 12(4): 1026-1034. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025051

    Related Papers:

  • This study aims to examine differences in physical fitness among young adults in three distinct groups: individuals with long COVID, those who had recovered from COVID-19 without lingering symptoms, and healthy individuals with no history of infection. A total of 105 participants were equally divided into the three groups (n = 35 each). Evaluations included handgrip strength for upper body strength, handheld dynamometry for quadricep strength, and a six-minute walk test (6MWT) to assess the cardiorespiratory performance. Participants with long COVID demonstrated significantly lower handgrip strengths compared to the control group. Additionally, both post-COVID groups showed reduced 6MWT distances and elevated post-exercise physiological responses, including heart rate, systolic blood pressure, perceived exertion, and leg fatigue, regardless of symptom persistence. These findings indicate that individuals recovering from COVID-19, especially those with persistent symptoms, exhibit measurable declines in muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, along with heightened physiological stress during physical activity.



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    Acknowledgments


    We would like to thank all the volunteers who participated in this study. This research was supported by University of Phayao and Thailand Science Research and Innovation Fund (Fundamental Fund 2026, Grant No. 2264).

    Authors' contributions


    Conception and design: P Amput; Administrative support: P Amput; Provision of study materials or patients: P Amput, S Wongphon; Collection and assembly of data: P Amput, S Wongphon; Data analysis and interpretation: P Amput; Manuscript writing: All authors; Final approval of manuscript: All authors.

    Conflict of interest


    The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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  • © 2025 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
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