Elsevier

Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases

Volume 76, January–February 2023, Pages 61-68
Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases

COVID-19 and elite sport: Cardiovascular implications and return-to-play

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2022.11.014Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Curtailing elite sports during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was necessary to prevent widespread viral transmission. Now that elite sport and international competitions have been largely restored, there is still a need to devise appropriate screening and management pathways for athletes with a history of, or current, COVID-19 infection. These approaches should support the decision-making process of coaches, sports medicine practitioners and the athlete about the suitability to return to training and competition activities. In the absence of longitudinal data sets from athlete populations, the incidence of developing prolonged and debilitating symptoms (i.e., Long COVID) that affects a return to training and competition remains a challenge to sports and exercise scientists, sports medicine practitioners and clinical groups. As the world attempts to adjust toward ‘living with COVID-19’ the very nature of elite and international sporting competition poses a risk to athlete welfare that must be screened for and managed with bespoke protocols that consider the cardiovascular implications for performance.

Keywords

COVID-19
Cardiology
Sports competition
Long COVID
Athletes

Abbreviations

ACC
American College of Cardiology
AHA
American Heart Association
CMRI
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
CPET
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
CTA
Computed tomography angiography
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019
ECG
Electrocardiogram
FIFA
Federation Internationale de Football Association
GRTP
Graduated return to play
HR
Heart rate
IOC
International Olympic Committee
LGE
Late gadolinium enhancement
NGOs
Nongovernmental organizations
PET
Positron emission tomography
RPE
Rating of perceived exertion
RTP
return-to-play
RV
Right Ventricle
SARS-CoV-2
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
WHO
World Health Organization

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