International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Jul 2024)

The Association of Genetic Markers Involved in Muscle Performance Responding to Lactate Levels during Physical Exercise Therapy by Nordic Walking in Patients with Long COVID Syndrome: A Nonrandomized Controlled Pilot Study

  • Ángel Lizcano-Álvarez,
  • David Varillas-Delgado,
  • Roberto Cano-de-la-Cuerda,
  • Carmen Jiménez-Antona,
  • Alberto Melián-Ortiz,
  • Alberto Molero-Sánchez,
  • Sofía Laguarta-Val

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158305
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 15
p. 8305

Abstract

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Several genetic markers have shown associations with muscle performance and physical abilities, but the response to exercise therapy is still unknown. The aim of this study was to test the response of patients with long COVID through an aerobic physical therapy strategy by the Nordic walking program and how several genetic polymorphisms involved in muscle performance influence physical capabilities. Using a nonrandomized controlled pilot study, 29 patients who previously suffered from COVID-19 (long COVID = 13, COVID-19 = 16) performed a Nordic walking exercise therapy program for 12 sessions. The influence of the ACE (rs4646994), ACTN3 (rs1815739), AMPD1 (rs17602729), CKM (rs8111989), and MLCK (rs2849757 and rs2700352) polymorphisms, genotyped by using single nucleotide primer extension (SNPE) in lactic acid concentration was established with a three-way ANOVA (group × genotype × sessions). For ACE polymorphism, the main effect was lactic acid (p = 0.019). In ACTN3 polymorphism, there were no main effects of lactic acid, group, or genotype. However, the posthoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with nonlong COVID, long COVID increased lactic acid concentrations in Nordic walking sessions in CT and TT genotypes (all p AMPD1 polymorphism, there were main effects of lactic acid, group, or genotype and lactic acid × genotype or lactic acid × group × genotype interactions (all p p ACTN3 c.1729C>T and AMPD1 c.34C>T polymorphisms. These findings suggest that individuals who reported long COVID who presumably exercised less beforehand appeared to be less able to exercise, based on lactate levels, and the effect of aerobic physical exercise enhanced physical capabilities conditioned by several genetic markers in long COVID patients.

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