Recommendations for return to sport during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Herbert Löllgen¹, Norbert Bachl^{1

2

3

4}, Theodora Papadopoulou^{1

4

5

6}, Andrew Shafik^{7

8}, Graham Holloway⁵, Karin Vonbank⁹, Nigel Edward Jones^{5

10

11}, Xavier Bigard^{1

4

12}, David Niederseer¹³, Joachim Meyer¹⁴, Borja Muniz-Pardos¹⁵, Andre Debruyne^{1

4}, Petra Zupet^{1

4

16}, Jürgen M Steinacker^{1

4

17}, Bernd Wolfarth^{4

18}, James Lee John Bilzon^{4

5

19}, Anca Ionescu¹, Michiko Dohi^{4

20}, Jeroen Swart^{4

21}, Victoriya Badtieva^{4

22

23}, Irina Zelenkova^{15

22}, Maurizio Casasco^{1

4

24}, Michael Geistlinger^{4

25}, Luigi Di Luigi^{4

26}, Nick Webborn^{27

28}, Patrick Singleton²⁹, Mike Miller²⁹, Fabio Pigozzi^{1

4

30

31}, Yannis P Pitsiladis^{1

4

32}

Affiliations

¹ European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Institute of Sports Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
³ Austrian Institute of Sports Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Doncaster, UK.
⁶ Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Loughborough, UK.
⁷ South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK.
⁸ Newcastle Thunder Rugby, Newcastle, UK.
⁹ Department of Pneumology, Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Medicine Clinic (KIMII), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁰ British Cycling, Manchester, UK.
¹¹ University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
¹² Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Aigle, Switzerland.
¹³ Heart Centre, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
¹⁴ Lung Center, Clinic Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany.
¹⁵ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
¹⁶ Institute of Medicine and Sports, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
¹⁷ Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
¹⁸ Department of Sport Medicine, Humboldt University and Charité University School of Medicine, Berlin, Deutschland, Germany.
¹⁹ Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
²⁰ Sport Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
²¹ UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Town, South Africa.
²² I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation.
²³ Moscow Research and Practical Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine, Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russian Federation.
²⁴ Italian Federation of Sports Medicine (FMSI), Rome, Italy.
²⁵ Unit International Law, Department of Constitutional, International and European Law, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
²⁶ Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
²⁷ School of Sport and Service Management, Eastbourne, UK.
²⁸ School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
²⁹ World Olympians Association, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³⁰ University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
³¹ FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Villa Stuart Sport Clinic, Rome, Italy.
³² Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK.

PMID: 34192007
PMCID: PMC10577793
DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000858

Review

Recommendations for return to sport during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Herbert Löllgen et al. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2020.

. 2020 Jul 13;6(1):e000858.

doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000858. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Institute of Sports Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
³ Austrian Institute of Sports Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Doncaster, UK.
⁶ Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Loughborough, UK.
⁷ South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK.
⁸ Newcastle Thunder Rugby, Newcastle, UK.
⁹ Department of Pneumology, Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Medicine Clinic (KIMII), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁰ British Cycling, Manchester, UK.
¹¹ University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
¹² Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Aigle, Switzerland.
¹³ Heart Centre, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
¹⁴ Lung Center, Clinic Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany.
¹⁵ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
¹⁶ Institute of Medicine and Sports, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
¹⁷ Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
¹⁸ Department of Sport Medicine, Humboldt University and Charité University School of Medicine, Berlin, Deutschland, Germany.
¹⁹ Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
²⁰ Sport Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
²¹ UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Town, South Africa.
²² I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russian Federation.
²³ Moscow Research and Practical Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine, Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russian Federation.
²⁴ Italian Federation of Sports Medicine (FMSI), Rome, Italy.
²⁵ Unit International Law, Department of Constitutional, International and European Law, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
²⁶ Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
²⁷ School of Sport and Service Management, Eastbourne, UK.
²⁸ School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
²⁹ World Olympians Association, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³⁰ University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
³¹ FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Villa Stuart Sport Clinic, Rome, Italy.
³² Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK.

PMID: 34192007
PMCID: PMC10577793
DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000858

Abstract

In this viewpoint we make specific recommendations that can assist and make the return to sport/exercise as safe as possible for all those impacted - from the recreational athlete to the elite athlete. We acknowledge that there are varying rules and regulations around the world, not to mention the varying philosophies and numerous schools of thought as it relates to return to sport/exercise and we have been cognisant of this in our recommendations. Despite the varying rules and circumstances around the world, we believe it is essential to provide some helpful and consistent guidance for return to training and sport for sport and exercise physicians around the world at this most difficult time. The present viewpoint provides practical and medical recommendations on the resumption to sport process.

Keywords: athlete; communicable disease; physical fitness; sports rehabilitation programs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

1. Corsini A, Bisciotti GN, Eirale C, et al. . Football cannot restart soon during the COVID-19 emergency! A critical perspective from the Italian experience and a call for action. Br J Sports Med 2020. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102306. [Epub ahead of print: 24 Mar 2020]. - DOI - PubMed
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1. Phelan D, Kim JH, Chung EH. A game plan for the resumption of sport and exercise after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. JAMA Cardiol 2020. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.2136. [Epub ahead of print: 13 May 2020]. - DOI - PubMed

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Recommendations for return to sport during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Affiliations

Recommendations for return to sport during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous