CHANGES IN CARDIO-PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ANALYZED WITH BRUCE PROTOCOL FOLLOWING SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN SOCCER PLAYERS

Authors

  • Kristina Mickovska Institute of Physiology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0195-1938
  • Stefan Nedelkoski Institute of Immunobiology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4338-0846
  • Vangel Ristovski Institute of Physiology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6550-3133
  • Sanja Manchevska Institute of Physiology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6822-7648
  • Jasmina Pluncevic Gligoroska Institute of Physiology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6400-4081

Keywords:

Maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate, Bruce test, COVID19, soccer players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the possible differences in the endurance of soccer players, based on parameters obtained by Bruce protocol, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

We designed a retrospective case-control study. Sixteen male soccer players, aged from 18 to 35 years, were included. According to the anamnestic data  players were divided into two subgroups: infected (N=10) and non-infected (N=6). The general endurance and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) were assessed utilizing the Bruce sub-maximal treadmill test. Cardio-physiological parameters were taken during the pandemic period (May/ June 2021) and one year later (June 2022).

The heart rate (HR) at rest showed no statistical difference between the two cohort groups before (p=0.8996) and after the pandemic (p=0.6968). HR at recovery also did not show significant difference between the cohort groups before (p=0.3719) and after the pandemic (p=0.6930). ET (exercise time) and VO2max values were without a significant difference between the groups at the two testing periods (p=0.2860; p=0.9835 and p=0.4957; p=0.9469, respectively). The difference between VO2max values for the whole soccer team before and after the pandemic was statistically significant and higher (+2.42 mL/kg/min) at the second testing point (p=0.04).

The cardio-physiological parameters obtained with Bruce protocol following SARS-CoV-2 infection in male soccer players manifested no significant difference compared to non-infected participants from the same soccer club and compared to the period before pandemic. The single parameter that was different and higher after the pandemic was maximal oxygen consumption for the whole team regardless the COVID-19 status.

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Published

2022-12-20

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2022): Acad Med J

Section

Original Articles