Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play?
COVID-19 athletes reported persistent and residual symptoms many weeks after initial infection, including cough, fatigue, and neuromuscular disorders. Poor neuromuscular control may cause inefficient movement strategies increasing anterior cruciate ligament load. This is particularly relevant in fem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/557 |
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| author | Alessandro de Sire Andrea Demeco Nicola Marotta Riccardo Spanò Claudio Curci Giacomo Farì Francesco Fortunato Teresa Iona Lorenzo Lippi Teresa Paolucci Marco Invernizzi Antonio Ammendolia |
| author_facet | Alessandro de Sire Andrea Demeco Nicola Marotta Riccardo Spanò Claudio Curci Giacomo Farì Francesco Fortunato Teresa Iona Lorenzo Lippi Teresa Paolucci Marco Invernizzi Antonio Ammendolia |
| author_sort | Alessandro de Sire |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | COVID-19 athletes reported persistent and residual symptoms many weeks after initial infection, including cough, fatigue, and neuromuscular disorders. Poor neuromuscular control may cause inefficient movement strategies increasing anterior cruciate ligament load. This is particularly relevant in female athletes, who show a 3-time higher risk than male counterparts. Aim is to evaluate the impairment in thigh muscles activation, body composition, and physical performance after COVID-19 in volleyball athletes. We recruited a cohort of female professional players from the same team. We assessed the pre-activation time of Rectus Femoris (RF), Vastus Medialis (VM), Medial Hamstring (MH), and Lateral Hamstring (LH) before (T0) and after (T1) COVID-19 infection, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and jump tests. We included 12 athletes with COVID-19 infection diagnosis in January 2021. At T1 we found a significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) delay (ms) of the activation time of RF (426 ± 188 vs. 152 ± 106); VM (363 ± 192 vs. 140 ± 96); BF (229 ± 60 vs. 150 ± 63); MH (231 ± 88 vs. 203 ± 89), and a significant reduction of body composition at BIA. The neuromotor imbalance of the knee stabilizer muscle in female athletes after COVID-19 infection determines a deficit of knee stabilization. Physicians should consider neuromuscular and metabolic sequelae to identify athletes at higher risk of injury and set up specific neuromuscular rehabilitation protocols. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:59:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16e175fdee504d7880ccf5feeefcf82f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:59:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-16e175fdee504d7880ccf5feeefcf82f2023-11-23T12:49:00ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-01-0112255710.3390/app12020557Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play?Alessandro de Sire0Andrea Demeco1Nicola Marotta2Riccardo Spanò3Claudio Curci4Giacomo Farì5Francesco Fortunato6Teresa Iona7Lorenzo Lippi8Teresa Paolucci9Marco Invernizzi10Antonio Ammendolia11Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, 46100 Mantova, ItalyDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, 70122 Bari, ItalyNeurology Institute, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont “A. Avogadro”, 28100 Novara, ItalyPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences (DSMOB), G. D’Annunzio University, 66100 Chieti, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont “A. Avogadro”, 28100 Novara, ItalyPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyCOVID-19 athletes reported persistent and residual symptoms many weeks after initial infection, including cough, fatigue, and neuromuscular disorders. Poor neuromuscular control may cause inefficient movement strategies increasing anterior cruciate ligament load. This is particularly relevant in female athletes, who show a 3-time higher risk than male counterparts. Aim is to evaluate the impairment in thigh muscles activation, body composition, and physical performance after COVID-19 in volleyball athletes. We recruited a cohort of female professional players from the same team. We assessed the pre-activation time of Rectus Femoris (RF), Vastus Medialis (VM), Medial Hamstring (MH), and Lateral Hamstring (LH) before (T0) and after (T1) COVID-19 infection, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and jump tests. We included 12 athletes with COVID-19 infection diagnosis in January 2021. At T1 we found a significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) delay (ms) of the activation time of RF (426 ± 188 vs. 152 ± 106); VM (363 ± 192 vs. 140 ± 96); BF (229 ± 60 vs. 150 ± 63); MH (231 ± 88 vs. 203 ± 89), and a significant reduction of body composition at BIA. The neuromotor imbalance of the knee stabilizer muscle in female athletes after COVID-19 infection determines a deficit of knee stabilization. Physicians should consider neuromuscular and metabolic sequelae to identify athletes at higher risk of injury and set up specific neuromuscular rehabilitation protocols.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/557COVID-19volleysportsrehabilitationelectromyographymuscle activity |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro de Sire Andrea Demeco Nicola Marotta Riccardo Spanò Claudio Curci Giacomo Farì Francesco Fortunato Teresa Iona Lorenzo Lippi Teresa Paolucci Marco Invernizzi Antonio Ammendolia Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? Applied Sciences COVID-19 volley sports rehabilitation electromyography muscle activity |
| title | Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? |
| title_full | Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? |
| title_fullStr | Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? |
| title_short | Neuromuscular Impairment of Knee Stabilizer Muscles in a COVID-19 Cluster of Female Volleyball Players: Which Role for Rehabilitation in the Post-COVID-19 Return-to-Play? |
| title_sort | neuromuscular impairment of knee stabilizer muscles in a covid 19 cluster of female volleyball players which role for rehabilitation in the post covid 19 return to play |
| topic | COVID-19 volley sports rehabilitation electromyography muscle activity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/2/557 |
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