I’ve provided two studies.
The first clearly demonstrating, and I quote:
“Skeletal muscle can be affected, leading to fatigue, lower mobility, weakness, and poor physical performance.” It also states “Current evidence suggests that long COVID negatively impacts body composition and muscle function”
So a link between covid and musculoskeletal symptoms exists. Yes, this is long covid, but it is the same virus and it is impacting skeletal muscle. What is far fetched here?
The second study specifically states:
“This study reported a five times higher risk of developing a muscle strain after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite male football players.”
However, yes, the study has limitations. As it states itself, “it is possible that short-term detraining effects due to quarantine” contribute to the results.
But, as also stated, it is possible that the “potentially pathological effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with a higher risk of muscle strain injury.”
Hence it could be the quarantine impact, or it could be the virus. Why is it far fetched to explore either option, specifically the pathological impact?
All I’ve done is relay scientific studies and I’m somehow making 2+2=400? It seems more like you’re making 2+2=0.
Forgetting Covid specifically, it’s common knowledge that many viruses can cause Myositis during, and for some time after, infection.
In myositis, inflammation damages the fibres of a muscle. This causes muscles to be weak by interfering with the ability of the muscles to contract. See link below.
Harvard Health: Myositis
“Myositis sometimes occurs as part of a systemic (whole body) infection, especially a viral infection. It is
especially common among people who have the flu (influenza).” I’m struggling to see the far fetched aspect of this hypothesis?
This why you shouldn’t partake in resistance training whilst suffering with a viral infection. Risk of injury goes up. That’s a fact.
Since influenza causes Myositis, it stands to reason that Covid could, as well as other pathogens. Nobody is trying to suggest that covid has some kind of special muscle corroding or dissolving effect, like Pogue is trying to say I’m claiming. It’s simply inflammation.
Covid is far more prevalent than influenza right now (see below as an example, using LA data here as can’t access local data). So people are likely to continue to be exposed. Anecdotally, I know people who’ve had it at least twice already (some 5+), including myself. People are catching it more often than flu at the moment. I’ve had flu once in my 34 years of life, and covid twice in 14 months. But it doesn’t even really matter whether it’s flu or covid, Myositis is entirely possible.
If footballers (men and women) are playing during and/or straight after infection, then they are surely at risk of Myositis? The same goes for tennis players, NFL players, baseball players etc. Which
could explain the injuries (not saying it definitely does). Or are you dismissing the potential here?
As for bloated schedules being the reason, tennis has had no such thing and have had no kind of catch up since the pandemic. And WSL only plays 22 games per season compared to our 38. Spurs have a huge injury crisis and have had no European football this season. We also now have five substitutions instead of three which reduces the risk of injury further.
I’m saying it could well be related to Covid, but of course, it may well not be. I’d say the above gives reason to explore this further though, rather than dismiss it completely and assume it’s something else. The thing is, covid is a constant across all sports. More games/bloated schedules/playing catch up isn’t a constant across all sports, as explained above.
. That cannot be true. Like it just cant. You pretty much spend the first 15-16 years of your life having flu multiple times a year due to how schools/children/flus work. Did you like avoid kids your whole life? Hell even in your adult life whilst you’d be ill a lot less you will catch things unless you literally never leave the house.