The Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity, Motor Fitness, and HRmax Values of Female University Students

Background The long-term relationships between COVID-19 and anthropometric and physiological characteristics as indicators of health status have not been extensively studied to date. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between COVID-19 and the HR _max values achieved by female university students during maximal physical effort, the participants’ physical activity (PA) levels and anthropometric and physiological characteristics ten months after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The study involved 82 female university students aged 19.0–28.0 years. Half of the study population had a history of COVID-19. The participants’ body composition was evaluated in a bioelectrical impedance analysis. The students’ PA levels were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and their HR _max values were measured during the 12-minute Cooper test on a rowing ergometer (12-MCTRE). Results Healthy students (G1) were characterized by the highest PA levels. Physical activity levels were lower in students who had a history of COVID-19 but had not been hospitalized (G2), and lowest in students who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (G3). Healthy controls were also characterized by significantly lower body mass, the body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, and visceral fat levels, as well as lower values of body fat mass, fat free mass, and skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.001). The highest HR _max (175 bpm) was noted in group G1 students, and it significantly exceeded the values in groups G2 (by 7 bpm) and G3 (by 15 bpm). Conclusions Ten months after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, female students who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 were characterized by significantly lower levels of PA and motor fitness, as well as less favorable body composition parameters (class 1 obesity). These observations may explain the lower HR _max values in group G3 women than in healthy controls