Training with Post-Covid Inflammation?

Dr. Darden, Marc and others: I would be interested in your thoughts on the benefits of any strength training/conditioning routine that might combat the long term inflammation that is present in some patients after experiencing Covid-19?

Just curious as to how that inflammation manifests itself ? What gets inflamed and what does it do to people?
Scott

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For some reason some Covid patients who struggle with the disease have a residual inflammation of chest muscles and back muscles long after pulmonary and cardiological functions appear to return to normal… It can also manifest itself in the arms and legs. It may linger for many months. Some early patients still have it almost a year later. Assuming cleared by the trainee’s personal physicion, I am wondering what others have tried to combat the muscular problem.

Physiotherapy, individually with a gradual increase in physical activity. This alongside a physicians best judgement re present pulmonary function. No current guidelines exist, which makes this a trial and error approach, in the patients best interest, of course. This prior to any demanding excercise.

I would not expect a reply to strictly medical questions from Dr Darden. In my personal opinion, HIT (as any degree of proper excercise) requires a fairly healthy individual, and is therefore not to be recommended when suffering from limitations post-Covid.

An interesting side note: I noticed a recommendation to consult a physician when suffering from any illness, prior to starting out, in Dr Darden’s books.

This is meant to be a nice and friendly reply. Please consider it that way. :slight_smile:

My 86 year old mother is recovering from COVID-19. She is to be vaccinated as per protocol. She has little residual inflammation, just hunger.
I have also been vaccinated per healthcare workers protocol.

I have no specific recommendations. I would think due caution would be warranted. I would also think building the mitochondria endurance functionality would be prudent, but I have no facts to back this up, so it is pure speculation at this time.
I apologize for my late answer, as I would love to hear others opinions/knowledge on this topic.

Marc

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I caught it back in October and was able to get right back to training once I was better and regained my strength very quickly. Bear in mind I’m only 25 and In really good shape, so how things went for me won’t necessarily be the case for everyone. Push as hard as you can and play it by feel, I’d say.

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That is interesting. I see a lot written about lingering cardiac inflammation and lasting lung issues, but skeletal muscle inflammation is not something I’ve encountered in my reading. The disease definitely has some weird effects in some people.

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The infection does seem to be vascular in nature.

Get a big container of Tumeric and use it in as much of your cooking as possible! Cinnamon is another good one!!

I use a decent amount of cinnamon every morning on my oatmeal mixed w/apple.