Impact of a COVID-19 infection on exercise levels of recreational athletes one- and three-months post-infection.

We examined the effect of a COVID-19 infection on changes in exercise levels in recreational athletes in the first three months after infection, and identified personal factors associated with a larger change in exercise level and recovery time. Recreational athletes (n=4360) completed an online questionnaire on health and exercise levels. 601 Athletes have had a diagnostically confirmed COVID-19 infection, while 3479 athletes did not (non-COVID-19 group). Exercise levels (in MET-min/week) were examined prior to (2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) for the non-COVID-19 group, and in 2019, 1-month pre-COVID-19 infection, 1-month post-COVID-19 infection and 3 months post-COVID-19 infection in the COVID-19 group. Median exercise level at baseline in the COVID-19 group was 3528 (IQR=1488-5760) MET-min/week. One-month post-COVID-19 infection, exercise level dropped 58% (2038 MET-min/week), which partly stabilized to 36% (1256 MET-min/week) below baseline values 3 months post-COVID-19 infection. Moreover, in both the COVID-19 (pre-COVID-19 infection) and non-COVID-19 group exercise levels during the pandemic decreased with ~260 MET-min/week. These results illustrate that even a relatively physically active population of recreational athletes is significantly affected by a COVID-19 infection, particularly those athletes who are overweight. COVID-19 disease burden, age, sex, comorbidities and smoking were not associated with reduced exercise levels.

Cooling vests alleviate perceptual heat strain perceived by COVID-19 nurses

Cooling vests alleviate heat strain. We quantified the perceptual and physiological heat strain and assessed the effects of wearing a 21°C phase change material cooling vest on these measures during work shifts of COVID-19 nurses wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Seventeen nurses were monitored on two working days, consisting of a control (PPE only) and a cooling vest day (PPE + cooling vest). Sub-PPE air temperature, gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously. Thermal comfort (2 [1–4] versus 1 [1–2], pcondtition < 0.001) and thermal sensation (5 [4–7] versus 4 [2–7], pcondition < 0.001) improved in the cooling vest versus control condition. Only 18% of nurses reported thermal discomfort and 36% a (slightly) warm thermal sensation in the cooling vest condition versus 81% and 94% in the control condition (OR (95%CI) 0.05 (0.01–0.29) and 0.04 (<0.01–0.35), respectively). Accordingly, perceptual strain index was lower in the cooling vest versus control condition (5.7 ± 1.5 versus 4.3 ± 1.7, pcondition < 0.001, respectively). No differences were observed for the physiological heat strain index Tgi and rating of perceived exertion across conditions. Average HR was slightly lower in the cooling vest versus the control condition (85 ± 12 versus 87 ± 11, pcondition = 0.025). Although the physiological heat strain among nurses using PPE was limited, substantial perceptual heat strain was experienced. A 21°C phase change material cooling vest can successfully alleviate the perceptual heat strain encountered by nurses wearing PPE.

Cooling vests alleviate perceptual heat strain perceived by COVID-19 nurses.

Cooling vests alleviate heat strain. We quantified the perceptual and physiological heat strain and assessed the effects of wearing a 21°C phase change material cooling vest on these measures during work shifts of COVID-19 nurses wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Seventeen nurses were monitored on two working days, consisting of a control (PPE only) and a cooling vest day (PPE + cooling vest). Sub-PPE air temperature, gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously. Thermal comfort (2 [1-4] versus 1 [1-2], pcondtition < 0.001) and thermal sensation (5 [4-7] versus 4 [2-7], pcondition < 0.001) improved in the cooling vest versus control condition. Only 18% of nurses reported thermal discomfort and 36% a (slightly) warm thermal sensation in the cooling vest condition versus 81% and 94% in the control condition (OR (95%CI) 0.05 (0.01-0.29) and 0.04 (<0.01-0.35), respectively). Accordingly, perceptual strain index was lower in the cooling vest versus control condition (5.7 ± 1.5 versus 4.3 ± 1.7, pcondition < 0.001, respectively). No differences were observed for the physiological heat strain index Tgi and rating of perceived exertion across conditions. Average HR was slightly lower in the cooling vest versus the control condition (85 ± 12 versus 87 ± 11, pcondition = 0.025). Although the physiological heat strain among nurses using PPE was limited, substantial perceptual heat strain was experienced. A 21°C phase change material cooling vest can successfully alleviate the perceptual heat strain encountered by nurses wearing PPE.