ArticlePloS one2021
The association of estimated cardiorespiratory fitness with COVID-19 incidence and mortality: A cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- Baseline physical activity is associated with reduced mortality and disease outcomes in COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Reviews in medical virology · 2022Pooled it
- Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity and risk of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 hospitalization: the HUNT study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Identifying direct risk factors in UK Biobank via simultaneous Bayesian-frequentist model-averaged hypothesis testing using Doublethink.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Alterations in Circadian Rhythms, Sleep, and Physical Activity in COVID-19: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Lessons for the Future.Molecular neurobiology · 2024Review
- Effects of Exercise Rehabilitation on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Long-COVID-19 Survivors: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Insights from Chilean NCDs Hospitalization Data during COVID-19.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- Physical fitness level and the risk of severe COVID-19: A systematic review.Sports medicine and health science · 2023Review
- COVID-19 Social Restrictions' Impact on the Health-Related Physical Fitness of the Police Cadets.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- COVID-19: Insights into long-term manifestations and lockdown impacts.Journal of sport and health science · 2023Review
- Analysis of Multiple Causes of Death: A Review of Methods and Practices.Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2023Review
- Review
- Stress induced proinflammatory adaptations: Plausible mechanisms for the link between stress and cardiovascular disease.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Review
- Relationship between physical exercise and COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2): systematic review.Sport sciences for health · 2023Review
- Estimated Oxygen Consumption with the Abbreviated Method and Its Association with Vaccination and PCR Tests for COVID-19 from Socio-Demographic, Anthropometric, Lifestyle, and Morbidity Outcomes in Chilean Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Observational
- Small steps, strong shield: directly measured, moderate physical activity in 65 361 adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes.British journal of sports medicine · 2022Article
- Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Older Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- What Comes First, the Behavior or the Condition? In the COVID-19 Era, It May Go Both Ways.Current problems in cardiology · 2022Review
- Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in overweight or obese people post COVID-19: A comparative study.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Article
- Development and Validation of 3 Min Incremental Step-In-Place Test for Predicting Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Home Settings: A Submaximal Exercise Study to Assess Cardiorespiratory Fitness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Covid-19 and the next outbreak: decreasing frailty by using mild stress?Biogerontology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIt has been suggested that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) may be used to identify those at greatest risk for severe COVID-19 illness. However, no study to date has examined the association between CRF and COVID-19. The objectives of this study were to determine whether CRF is independently associated with testing positive with or dying from COVID-19.
methodsThis is a prospective cohort study of 2,690 adults from the UK Biobank Study that were followed from March 16th, 2020 to July 26th, 2020. Participants who were tested for COVID-19 and had undergone CRF assessment were examined. CRF was estimated (eCRF) and categorized as low (<20th percentile), moderate (20th to 80th percentile) and high (≥80th percentile) within sex and ten-year age groups (e.g. 50-60 years). Participants were classified as having COVID-19 if they tested positive (primarily PCR tests) at an in-patient or out-patient setting as of July 26, 2020. Participants were classified as having died from COVID-19 if the primary or underlying cause of death was listed ICD-10 codes U071 or U072 by June 30th, 2020. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated and a forward model building approach used to identify covariates.
findingsThere was no significant association between eCRF and testing positive for COVID-19. Conversely, individuals with moderate (aRR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.75) and high fitness (aRR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.85) had a significantly lower risk of dying from COVID-19 than those with low fitness.
conclusionsWhile eCRF was not significantly associated with testing positive for COVID-19, we observed a significant dose-response between having higher eCRF and a decreased risk of dying from COVID-19. This suggests that prior gains in CRF could be protective against dying from COVID-19 should someone develop the virus.
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