There might just be some truth to fit people’s claims that they are less likely to catch or suffer from COVID.
New international research has confirmed that regular physical activity – around just 20 minutes of moderate exercise a day – is linked to a lower risk of COVID infection and severity, including hospital admission and death.
The study, published August 23rd in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that the best level of protection was provided by 150 mins moderate or 75 mins vigorous intensity physical activity every week.
Overall, those who included regular physical activity in their weekly routine had an 11% lower risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as a 36% lower risk of hospital admission, a 44% lower risk of severe COVID illness, and a 43% lower risk of death from COVID than their physically inactive peers.
Lead author and Dr Antonio Garcia-Hermoso, from the Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Spain, said that previous research had suggested that physical activity could lessen both the risk of infection and the severity of respiratory infections due, at least in part, to its ability to bolster the immune system.
“However, there had been no attempt to systematically evaluate and meta-analyse the current evidence on the effect of habitual physical activity on COVID outcomes,” Dr Garcia-Hermoso said.
“Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to quantify the association between physical activity and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID associated hospitalisation, severe illness, and death due to COVID in adults.
“Our findings highlight the protective effects of engaging in sufficient physical activity as a public health strategy, with potential benefits to reduce the risk of severe COVID.
“Regular moderate-intensity exercise may help to boost the body’s anti-inflammatory responses, as well as cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, all of which may explain its beneficial effects on COVID severity.”
He believed the results may also help guide physicians and healthcare policymakers in making recommendations and developing guidelines that can help reduce the risk of adverse COVID outcomes – especially for high-risk patients.
The team conducted a meta-analysis of 291 potentially relevant, international, observational studies published between November 2019 and March 2022, from three major international research databases.
Only 16 studies met the criteria but collectively, they included data for a total of 1,853,610 adult participants, more than half of whom (54%) were women with an average age of 53 years.
Analysis determined that the maximum protective effect occurred at around 500 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes a week, after which there were no further improvements.
The researchers highlighted several limitations to the study, such as the analysis including different study designs, subjective assessments of physical activity levels, and that it only examined the Beta and Delta variants, rather than Omicron.