Home-Based Exercise for Post-COVID Fatigue

Not currently recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Jared M Gollie, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

Disqualifiers: Psychiatric disorders, Cardiovascular, Musculoskeletal, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 8 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how a home-based, minimal-dose resistance exercise program can assist Veterans experiencing fatigue after recovering from COVID-19. Researchers aim to understand how reduced muscle strength and oxygen use in muscles may increase fatigue and whether home exercise could provide a safe treatment option. Participants should be 50 or older and have experienced fatigue for more than 12 weeks after COVID-19 while receiving care at the DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. As an unphased trial, this study offers Veterans the chance to contribute to research that could enhance post-COVID-19 recovery strategies.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this home-based exercise program is safe for Veterans with post-COVID-19 fatigue?

Research shows that resistance training, such as the simple home-based exercises under study, is generally safe for people recovering from COVID-19. Studies have found that it can improve muscle strength and reduce tiredness without major safety issues.

For home-based exercises, evidence suggests they can boost fitness and ease symptoms like shortness of breath. Although exact numbers on negative effects are not available, general findings suggest these exercises are well-tolerated.

Since this program is low-intensity and performed just once a week, the risk of serious side effects is likely low. This type of exercise has been used safely in similar situations, indicating it should be safe for trial participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Minimal-Dose Home-Based Resistance Exercise because it offers a simple, accessible way to tackle post-COVID fatigue. Unlike typical treatments that may involve medication or extensive physical therapy, this approach requires just one day of exercise per week, making it easy to fit into daily life. The home-based nature of the treatment also eliminates the need for frequent clinic visits, which can be challenging for those with lingering fatigue. This method could empower patients to manage their symptoms more independently, potentially offering a more sustainable long-term solution.

What evidence suggests that this home-based resistance exercise is effective for post-COVID fatigue?

This trial will compare a Minimal-Dose Home-Based Resistance Exercise program with standard care for individuals experiencing post-COVID fatigue. Research has shown that home-based resistance exercises can greatly improve muscle strength and heart-lung fitness in people recovering from COVID-19. Studies have found that these exercise programs can help reduce symptoms like tiredness and shortness of breath. Evidence suggests that exercise can quickly enhance physical abilities and reduce fatigue. While these programs are generally safe and easy to follow, effects can vary among individuals. Overall, a simple home-based resistance exercise program might effectively reduce fatigue in those with post-COVID conditions. ^{2 3 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jared M. Gollie, PhD

Principal Investigator

Washington DC VA Medical Center, Washington, DC

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Veterans aged 50 or older who had COVID-19 and are experiencing fatigue lasting more than 12 weeks post-infection. They must be able to walk (with or without aid), receive care at the DC VAMC, speak English, and be oriented to person, place, and time. Those with a BMI over 40, psychiatric disorders, uncontrolled diseases that make exercise unsafe, or plans to move away within a year cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 50 or older, can walk (with or without help), have had COVID-19, and feel tired for more than 12 weeks after.

The ability to speak and read English, and orientation to person, place, and time

I am over 50, can walk (with or without help), have had COVID-19, and don't feel tired for more than 12 weeks after.

Exclusion Criteria

I do not have joint pain that would stop me from safely following the study's requirements.

Veterans who do not primarily receive care at the DC VAMC.

I do not have any severe health issues that could make joining the study unsafe.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in an 8-week home-based resistance exercise program performed one day per week

8 weeks

Remote monitoring

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Minimal-Dose Home-Based Resistance Exercise

Trial Overview The study tests if a home-based 'minimal-dose' resistance exercise program can safely improve muscle strength and reduce fatigue in Veterans with long-term COVID-19 effects. It aims to understand how physical activity affects those with post-COVID fatigue by monitoring changes in muscle function and mood.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Minimal-Dose Home-Based Resistance Exercise Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

8-week home-based resistance exercise performed one day per week.

Group II: Standard of Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will be asked to follow standard of care recommendations as prescribed by the physician.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

VA Office of Research and Development

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,691

Recruited

3,759,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

An 8-week supervised exercise program, either through concurrent training alone or combined with inspiratory muscle training, significantly improved physical fitness, muscle strength, and reduced symptoms like dyspnea and fatigue in 80 nonhospitalized adults with post-COVID-19 conditions.

Compared to self-management recommendations from the WHO, the exercise interventions were found to be safer and more effective in enhancing cardiovascular and muscular fitness, as well as overall health status.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a concurrent training, respiratory muscle exercise, and self-management recommendations on recovery from post-COVID-19 conditions: the RECOVE trial. Jimeno-Almazán, A., Buendía-Romero, Á., Martínez-Cava, A., et al.[2023]

A study involving 57 patients with persistent fatigue post-COVID showed that a 4-week supervised exercise program significantly improved their maximal exercise capacity (VO2peak) compared to usual care, with no adverse events reported.

While both exercise and usual care groups experienced improvements in fatigue and quality of life over time, the exercise group engaged in significantly more physical activity during the follow-up period, suggesting that exercise is a safe option for enhancing recovery in post-COVID patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physical exercise as a treatment for persisting symptoms post-COVID infection: review of ongoing studies and prospective randomized controlled training study. Kogel, A., Machatschek, M., Scharschmidt, R., et al.[2023]

A 12-week home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program significantly improved pulmonary symptoms and functional performance in 19 post-COVID-19 patients experiencing ongoing dyspnea.

The program also enhanced expiratory resistance capabilities, suggesting it could be an effective and low-cost strategy for managing post-COVID respiratory issues.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Home-Based Pilot Pulmonary Program for Dyspneic Patients Post-COVID-19. Morgan, S., Visovsky, C., Thomas, B., et al.[2023]

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) significantly improved functional status in five patients recovering from acute COVID-19, who initially experienced severe dyspnea and fatigue that limited their daily activities.

After undergoing PR, two patients returned to work and three were able to return home, demonstrating the effectiveness of PR in enhancing recovery and independence in individuals affected by COVID-19.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on patients with acute COVID-19: a single-center case series. Lee, SM., Kim, MW., Shin, D., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 10 individuals recently discharged after severe COVID-19, all participants safely completed three different high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols without any adverse events, indicating that HIIT can be tolerated post-hospitalization.

The study found that while all HIIT protocols achieved high exercise intensities, they differed in the duration spent at maximum heart rate, suggesting that different HIIT formats can be effectively utilized for rehabilitation in COVID-19 patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fidelity, tolerability and safety of acute high-intensity interval training after hospitalisation for COVID-19: a randomised cross-over trial. Foged, F., Rasmussen, IE., Bjørn Budde, J., et al.[2023]

Post-COVID-19 fatigue affects many individuals, with risk factors including older age, female sex, severe initial infection, multiple comorbidities, and a history of depression or anxiety, based on a systematic review of 20 studies involving 5,629 participants.

Various treatments have shown promise, such as Chinese herbal formulations, molecular hydrogen inhalation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and an 8-week physical therapy program, but more extensive controlled studies are needed to confirm their efficacy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Post-COVID-19 fatigue: A systematic review. Joli, J., Buck, P., Zipfel, S., et al.[2022]

This study is evaluating the effectiveness of a 12-week home-based inspiratory muscle training (IMT) program on improving maximal functional capacity in 26 patients who experienced chronic COVID-19 symptoms after hospital discharge.

The trial is designed as a randomized controlled study, which means it will compare the IMT group to a usual care group to determine if the training significantly enhances patients' functional abilities, with outcomes measured by a blinded assessor.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of a home-based inspiratory muscular training programme on functional capacity in patients with chronic COVID-19 after a hospital discharge: protocol for a randomised control trial (InsCOVID trial). Palau, P., Domínguez, E., Sastre, C., et al.[2022]

A 10-week home-based exercise training (HBET) program significantly improved the cardiorespiratory and physical functionality of a 67-year-old woman who had critical COVID-19, with VO2peak increasing by 45.9% and handgrip strength improving by 22.7%.

The HBET program was safe and led to reductions in fatigue and self-reported persistent symptoms, indicating its potential as an effective rehabilitation strategy for COVID-19 survivors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Benefits of Home-Based Exercise Training Following Critical SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case Report. Longobardi, I., do Prado, DML., Goessler, KF., et al.[2022]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, home-based exercise interventions, particularly group-based virtually supervised sessions, became the primary method for improving physical function and patient-reported outcomes in cancer survivors.

Preliminary evidence suggests that these home-based exercise programs are feasible and effective, but further research with larger, well-designed trials is necessary to confirm these findings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exercise oncology during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Are virtually supervised exercise interventions a sustainable alternative? Gonzalo-Encabo, P., Wilson, RL., Kang, DW., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-2-long-covid-5-2023-bb6bc

Home-Based Exercise for Post-COVID Fatigue Studies have demonstrated significant improvements in muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduction in symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10472035/

Resistance Training in Post-COVID Recovery - PubMed Central Evidence thus far indicates that resistance training may be safe and effective in patients following COVID-19, although its individual contribution is difficult ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11931970/

Effectiveness and tolerance of exercise interventions for long ... The evidence suggests that exercise interventions lead to short-term improvements in dyspnoea, fatigue, physical function and the physical ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877065722000811

Home-based respiratory muscle training on quality of life ... Only an 8-week supervised home-based RMT programme was effective in improving quality of life, but not exercise tolerance, in individuals with long-term post- ...

5. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-024-82584-4

Effects of a symptom-titrated exercise program on fatigue ... The individualized and symptom-titrated exercise program significantly reduced fatigue in INT from 5.67 to 4.51 compared to CON (Pre: 5.49; Post ...

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05699538

Study Details | NCT05699538 | Fatigability in Long COVID-19 Minimal-dose resistance exercise has been proposed as a potential strategy for improving neuromuscular characteristics and physical function.

7. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809670

Rehabilitation Interventions for Physical Capacity and ... Cardiovascular, respiratory, and functional effects of home-based exercise training after COVID-19 hospitalization.  Med Sci Sports Exerc ...