TY - JOUR
T1 - Fatigue in Covid-19 survivors: The potential impact of a nutritional supplement on muscle strength and function
AU - Galluzzo, Vincenzo
AU - Zazzara, Maria Beatrice
AU - Ciciarello, Francesca
AU - Savera, Giulia
AU - Pais, Cristina
AU - Calvani, Riccardo
AU - Picca, Anna
AU - Marzetti, Emanuele
AU - Landi, Francesco
AU - Tosato, Matteo
AU - Steering Committee, null
AU - Gremese, Elisa
AU - Coordination, null
AU - Bernabei, Roberto
AU - Fantoni, Massimo
AU - Gasbarrini, Antonio
AU - Field Investigators, null
AU - Gastroenterology Team, null
AU - Porcari, Serena
AU - Settanni, Carlo Romano
AU - Geriatric Team, null
AU - Benvenuto, Francesca
AU - Bramato, Giulia
AU - Brandi, Vincenzo
AU - Carfì, Angelo
AU - Fabrizi, Sofia
AU - Lo Monaco, Maria Rita
AU - Martone, Anna Maria
AU - Napolitano, Carmen
AU - Pagano, Francesco Cosimo
AU - Rocchi, Sara
AU - Rota, Elisabetta
AU - Salerno, Andrea
AU - Salerno, Andrea Maria
AU - Tritto, Marcello
AU - Catalano, Lucio
AU - Damiano, Francesco Paolo
AU - Rocconi, Alessandra
AU - Galliani, Alessandro
AU - Spaziani, Giovanni
AU - Tupputi, Salvatore
AU - Cocchi, Camilla
AU - Pirone, Flavia
AU - D'Ignazio, Federica
AU - Cacciatore, Stefano
AU - Infectious Disease Team, null
AU - Cauda, Roberto
AU - Tamburrini, Enrica
AU - Borghetti, A.
AU - Borghetti, Alberto
AU - Di Gianbenedetto, Simona
AU - Murri, Rita
AU - Cingolani, Antonella
AU - Ventura, Giulio
AU - Taddei, E.
AU - Moschese, D.
AU - Ciccullo, A.
AU - Dusina, A.
AU - Internal Medicine Team, null
AU - Stella, Leonardo
AU - Addolorato, Giovanni
AU - Franceschi, Francesco
AU - Mingrone, Gertrude
AU - Mingrone, Geltrude
AU - Zocco, M. A.
AU - Zocco, Maria Assunta
AU - Microbiology Team, null
AU - Sanguinetti, Maurizio
AU - Cattani Franchi, Paola
AU - Marchetti, Simona
AU - Posteraro, Brunella
AU - Sali, M.
AU - Sali, Michela
AU - Neurology Team, null
AU - Bizzarro, Alessandra
AU - Lauria, Alessandra
AU - Ophthalmology Team, null
AU - Rizzo, Stanislao
AU - Savastano, Maria Cristina
AU - Gambini, Gloria
AU - Cozzupoli, G. M.
AU - Culiersi, C.
AU - Culiersi, Carola
AU - Otolaryngology Team, null
AU - Passali, Giulio Cesare
AU - Paludetti, Gaetano
AU - Galli, Jacopo
AU - Crudo, F.
AU - Di Cintio, G.
AU - Longobardi, Y.
AU - Longobardi, Ylenia
AU - Tricarico, L.
AU - Tricarico, Laura
AU - Santantonio, M.
AU - Pediatric Team, null
AU - Buonsenso, Danilo
AU - Valentini, Piero
AU - Pata, D.
AU - Sinatti, D.
AU - Sinatti, Dario
AU - De Rose, C.
AU - De Rose, Cristina
AU - Pneumology Team, null
AU - Richeldi, Luca
AU - Lombardi, Francesco
AU - Calabrese, A.
AU - Calabrese, Anna Chiara
AU - Leone, Paolo Maria
AU - Calvello, Maria Rosaria
AU - Intini, Enrica
AU - Montemurro, Giuliano
AU - Psychiatric Team, null
AU - Sani, Gabriele
AU - Janiri, Delfina
AU - Simonetti, Alessio
AU - Giuseppin, G.
AU - Molinaro, M.
AU - Odica, M.
AU - Radiology Team, null
AU - Natale, Luigi
AU - Larici, Anna Rita
AU - Marano, Riccardo
AU - Rheumatology Team, null
AU - Paglionico, Annamaria
AU - Petricca, Luca
AU - Gigante, Luca
AU - Gigante, Lavinia
AU - Natalello, G.
AU - Fedele, A. L.
AU - Fedele, Anna Laura
AU - Lizzio, M. M.
AU - Lizzio, Marco Maria
AU - Tolusso, B.
AU - Tolusso, Barbara
AU - Di Mario, Clara
AU - Alivernini, Stefano
AU - Vascular Team, null
AU - Santoliquido, Angelo
AU - Santoro, Luca
AU - Di Giorgio, Angela
AU - Nesci, Antonio
AU - Popolla, V.
AU - Popolla, Valentina
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Fatigue with reduced tolerance to exercise is a common persistent long-lasting feature
amongst COVID-19 survivors. The assessment of muscle function in this category of patients is often
neglected.
Aim.: To evaluate the potential impact of a daily supplementation based on amino acids, minerals, vi-
tamins, and plant extracts (Apportal®) on muscle function, body composition, laboratory parameters and
self-rated health in a small group of COVID-19 survivors affected by fatigue.
Methods: Thirty participants were enrolled among patients affected by physical fatigue during or after
acute COVID-19 and admitted to the post-COVID-19 outpatient service at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli
in Rome between 1st March 2021 and 30th April 2021. All participants were evaluated at first visit (t0)
and at control visit (t1), after taking a daily sachet of Apportal® for 28 days. Muscle function was
analyzed using hand grip strength test, exhaustion strength time and the number of repetitions at one-
minute chair stand test. Body composition was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
Laboratory parameters, including standard blood biochemistry and ferritin levels, were evaluated at the
first visit and during the control visit. A quick evaluation of self-rated health, before COVID-19, at t0 and
t1, was obtained through a visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: Participants aged 60 years and older were 13 (43%). Females represented the 70% of the study
sample. Participants hospitalized for COVID-19 with low-flow oxygen supplementation represented the
43.3% of the study sample while 3.3% received noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or invasive ventilation. Hand
grip strength improved from 26.3 Kg to 28.9 Kg (p < 0.05) at t1 as compared to t0. The mean time of
strength exhaustion increased from 31.7 s (sec) at t0 to 47.5 s at t1 (p < 0.05). Participants performed a
higher number of repetitions (28.3 vs. 22.0; p < 0.05) during the one-minute chair stand test at t1 as
compared to t0. A trend, although not significant, in reduction of ferritin levels was found after nutri-
tional supplementation (94.4 vs. 84.3, respectively; p ¼ 0.01). The self-rated health status increased by at
least 13 points (t0, mean 57.6 ± 5.86; t1, mean 71.4 ± 6.73; p < 0.05).
Conclusions: After 28 days of nutritional supplementation with Apportal® in COVID-19 survivors affected
by fatigue with reduced tolerance to exercise, we found a significant improvement in means of muscle
strength and physical performance, associated with enhancement of self-rated health status between t0 and t.
AB - Background: Fatigue with reduced tolerance to exercise is a common persistent long-lasting feature
amongst COVID-19 survivors. The assessment of muscle function in this category of patients is often
neglected.
Aim.: To evaluate the potential impact of a daily supplementation based on amino acids, minerals, vi-
tamins, and plant extracts (Apportal®) on muscle function, body composition, laboratory parameters and
self-rated health in a small group of COVID-19 survivors affected by fatigue.
Methods: Thirty participants were enrolled among patients affected by physical fatigue during or after
acute COVID-19 and admitted to the post-COVID-19 outpatient service at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli
in Rome between 1st March 2021 and 30th April 2021. All participants were evaluated at first visit (t0)
and at control visit (t1), after taking a daily sachet of Apportal® for 28 days. Muscle function was
analyzed using hand grip strength test, exhaustion strength time and the number of repetitions at one-
minute chair stand test. Body composition was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
Laboratory parameters, including standard blood biochemistry and ferritin levels, were evaluated at the
first visit and during the control visit. A quick evaluation of self-rated health, before COVID-19, at t0 and
t1, was obtained through a visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: Participants aged 60 years and older were 13 (43%). Females represented the 70% of the study
sample. Participants hospitalized for COVID-19 with low-flow oxygen supplementation represented the
43.3% of the study sample while 3.3% received noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or invasive ventilation. Hand
grip strength improved from 26.3 Kg to 28.9 Kg (p < 0.05) at t1 as compared to t0. The mean time of
strength exhaustion increased from 31.7 s (sec) at t0 to 47.5 s at t1 (p < 0.05). Participants performed a
higher number of repetitions (28.3 vs. 22.0; p < 0.05) during the one-minute chair stand test at t1 as
compared to t0. A trend, although not significant, in reduction of ferritin levels was found after nutri-
tional supplementation (94.4 vs. 84.3, respectively; p ¼ 0.01). The self-rated health status increased by at
least 13 points (t0, mean 57.6 ± 5.86; t1, mean 71.4 ± 6.73; p < 0.05).
Conclusions: After 28 days of nutritional supplementation with Apportal® in COVID-19 survivors affected
by fatigue with reduced tolerance to exercise, we found a significant improvement in means of muscle
strength and physical performance, associated with enhancement of self-rated health status between t0 and t.
KW - Covid-19
KW - Covid-19
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/219754
U2 - 10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.08.029
DO - 10.1016/j.clnesp.2022.08.029
M3 - Article
SN - 2405-4577
VL - 51
SP - 215
EP - 221
JO - Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
JF - Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
ER -