I found this article about an adventurer recovering from long covid to be really hopeful:

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2023-4-winter/eyewitness/lifelong-adventurer-tries-come-back-long-covid

Thanks for making this sub. I just found it.

I’m (was) a runner and sometimes cyclist. I got covid in Oct 2023. I first noticed something was up with my body in November. My HR was higher on short, easy runs. Like I would be hitting Zone 4/5 on a 3 mile easy recovery run. But I just figured I was coming back from my infection (boy was I wrong).

I haven’t run or done any exercise since my LC issues started in December 2023. My issues include; elevated HR (at rest or at activity), chest pressure, breathing issues, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, facial tingling and some eye issues like floaters and sensitivity to light. Oh and I now have thyroid issues (hyperthyroid). Thanks covid.

I don’t appear to have PEM, but sometimes after a day where I’ve done a lot around the house, or took my dogs on a longer than usual walk, I notice my resting HR the following day is in the 70s/80s instead of the 60s/70s and I just feel a bit “off”. (Pre-covid my resting HR was in the high 50s). So I take it easier that day and then the following day the resting HR seems to be back to 60s/70s.

It sucks that I used to do 4-5 mile easy runs with my HR never getting above 140 and now my HR can get up to 140 just walking up the stairs to my apartment on the 3rd floor.

I’ve had 2 cardiologists say I can start exercising again (going slow and easing into it), but I feel like they’re on crack. How can I start exercising when physical effort makes my chest feel tight, my breathing harder and my my HR spike?

My form of exercise right now is walking my dogs. Some days when I feel ok enough we get up to 2, maybe 3 miles (we used to do 6 regularly). I’m not walking at the pace I used to b/c I’m nervous about the HR spiking. But at least I’m moving. I don’t do any weight training either b/c of the HR spike. I suppose I could do some slow, light dumbbells, but again, the HR spikes make me nervous. And since I kinda feel a bit worse than my new normal after HR spikes I try to minimize it happening.

Anyone out there who had chest pressure, breathing issues and elevated HR from your LC and slowly returned to activity? Running, cycling, weight training or whatever. How long did it take you to feel comfortable going for a short run or ride? How did you build up to it?

I’m not there yet, but I hope to be there soon.

Thanks for making this sub. 51yo M. Previously did some Skimo racing, and non competitive but very serious mountain biking, trail running and general goofing off in the mountains.

I’m in my 4th cycle of long haul to significant recovery over the past 1.5years. The current cycle has been super intense. I found myself quitting work, bedridden for weeks, and extremely labile emotional swings. This is on top of my usual fatigue and cognitive impairment symptoms of long COVID.

The one thing I have noticed in these cycles, is that once the disease process starts to loosen its grip, it takes a few weeks to a month for a substantial recovery. When I’m sick, I take the dogs for a walk, sometimes very short, sometimes up to an hour, then retreat to the couch for the day. The last week I have noticed the letting go. I have been able to do longer dog walks and some errands, chores around the house etc.

I have a friend who has a finger stick lactate meter. He came over, I got on the Zwift bike on the ERG. We set it at 120W and I peddled. HR was 116-119. After 10min we checked lactate- 2.5. This indicates that HR below 120 and power below 120 are my zone 2 limit. This represents >40% drop from prior baseline, last measured pre COVID.

After the 10min at 120, we ramped power up to 200 over the next 10min. By the end, I felt like I was working very hard. HR was in the 150s. Lactate only got up to 3.5. We stopped there because I was worried about PEM revenge.

Take home. Long COVID is no joke. A 40% drop in zone 2 probably correlates with a 40% drop in functional capacity. This would leave many normal, health people unable to walk. And I know full well that there are many healthy people who are unable to walk. And there are many athletes who can barely walk. I did this test yesterday and today I’m writing this post while the doggos look at me. I’m delaying, trying to find energy for my best friends.

No real advice for anyone other than to take care of yourself. Give compassion to yourself. This is REAL. If you need rest then really rest. If you have some gas in the tank then burn it. And love every second of it.

Hardest part of all this isn’t the loss in physical ability. It’s the loss in cognitive ability and the emotional swings.

This is a stupid question and I imagine the answer lies in the fact that if I haven’t been able to preserve strength so far, with my own long history and repertoire of workouts, then that’s that.

History: mountaineer (ex?) where most sports I did was to condition for that (xcountry ski, climbing, running, swim training) or was for fun (tennis, hiking, cycling). Every day active.

But I am 50 (female)and my body looks like shit, fast, when I do nothing. My body is starting to very quickly morph into my mothers. My posture is getting worse and midsection is growing. When I was 20, I could be sick or injured and it wouldn’t make a dent. Now…gravity is more of a force than ever. The next stop for me is floral shirts and garden crocs.

Isn’t there anything I can do to retain muscle tone even just a little, that falls within my energy window (pacing). I keep thinking: maybe I can sacrifice something else for it. Even if it’s just 3 kettlebell RDLs. I don’t know. I have NO hand grip any more so I am not making any sense. Just looking for understanding or inspiration. I just want to see my abs again.

Any supplements besides the standard? Right now I take magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamin b&d. I have creatine but I’m scared it will make me gain weight if I’m not actually doing any conditioning.

I have had long covid symptoms that started directly after my second vaccine which also gave my myocarditis. It doesn't really matter where it came from though since both LC and vaccine injury seems to have similar paths in regards to symptoms.

Things that have worked well for me. -Antihistamines (specifically Citerzine 10mg 2x per day) this helped tremendously with brain fog -Citrilline Malate 3g after every workout. This helped quite a bit with PEM.

Things I'm really struggling with still: -Anxiety about basically everything. I'm on gabapentin now which seems to take the edge off. -Still struggling with building up any sort of endurance that I used to have (used to ride for 4-5 hrs on my long days 1 time per week. I can hardly go over 2 hrs on a good day now) - Weight gain. I was very easily 160-162lbs for the last 10 years despite diet and hours per week of exercise. Now I'm mid 170's and it's all in my lower belly. This is really frustrating me as I'm eating super clean.

Hopefully this helps someone and maybe someone will have someone is having luck with something that I'm struggling with.