Post‐COVID‐19 Condition in Track and Field Master Athletes: Severity, Symptoms, and Associations With Quality of Life and C‐Reactive Protein Levels

Here, we assessed the prevalence of post‐COVID‐condition (PCC, also known as long‐COVID) and investigated its associations with health‐related quality of life and immune‐related biomarkers in track and field masters athletes (MAs). A total of 216 MAs (114 males, 102 females; age: 58.3 ± 11.9 vs. 56.6 ± 11.7 years; BMI: 23.6 [22.2–24.8] vs. 21.3 [20.0–23.6] kg/m2) reported their post‐COVID‐conditions via the Post‐COVID Syndrome Questionnaire (PCSQ). In a subgroup of 108 MAs, fasting blood samples were collected to assess C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels as a biomarker of immune status (MAs‐CRP). Based on their PCSQ sum score, MAs were divided into three groups: no/mild, moderate, and severe. Associations between PCC severity and sex, athletic specialty, and competition level were evaluated using Fisher's exact test. Forty‐six (21%) MAs were identified with clinically relevant moderate‐to‐severe post‐COVID‐19 conditions (PCSQ score > 10.75). The most frequently reported symptoms included musculoskeletal pain (15%), sleep disturbance (13%), sensory or respiratory symptoms (11%), fatigue (11%), and flu‐like symptoms (11%). PCC prevalence did not differ by sex, athletic specialties, training load, or prior competition level (all p > 0.05). MAs with moderate‐to‐severe PCC had significantly lower physical and mental component scores of quality of life compared with those with no or mild symptoms (p < 0.05). In the MAs‐CRP subgroup, self‐reported cardiac ailments and flu‐like symptoms were significantly and positively associated with CRP levels (Spearman ρ = 0.27–0.30, all p < 0.01). Post‐COVID‐19 condition is associated with reduced quality of life in track and field masters athletes, independent of sex, prior competition levels, and training characteristics. Furthermore, low‐grade inflammation based on CRP levels was associated with self‐reported cardiac and flu‐like symptoms.