Exercise emerges as most effective treatment for long COVID, study finds
A new systematic review and meta-analysis has found that exercise is the most effective treatment for people suffering from long COVID symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and reduced stamina.
The analysis reviewed 51 clinical trials involving more than 4,000 adults with long COVID. Researchers compared a range of treatments, including exercise programs, breathing exercises, online rehabilitation, brain stimulation, smell training, supplements and nasal sprays.
Exercise stood out as the most beneficial. People who followed structured exercise plans that included activities like walking, strength training or aerobics saw big improvements in their breathing, energy levels and overall physical function, according to the study.
“Exercise training should be prioritized for improving cardiopulmonary function and exercise capacity in long COVID, supported by high-certainty evidence,” the study said.
Breathing exercises also helped improve lung strength. Online rehab programs, where patients were guided through workouts or therapy sessions virtually, made a difference too, likely by boosting motivation and consistency. A supplement called PEA-LUT showed promise for restoring lost sense of smell, and brain stimulation helped ease fatigue in some patients.
However, nasal steroid sprays and smell training alone didn’t appear to work. The researchers recommended that treatment plans be tailored to each patient’s symptoms and exercise tolerance and that the "findings advocated for updated clinical guidelines integrating multimodal therapies and underscore the urgency of large-scale trials to optimize dosing and long-term outcomes."
Read more: eClinicalMedicine
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