Summary
Endurance Training is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Long COVID; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Endurance Training to Long COVID: 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 66 participants. Registered activity dates to 2022. The literature layer holds 18 publications for this pair: 1 systematic review, 3 clinical trial publications and 14 PubMed search records. Publication years run from 2022 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
Long COVID / PASC is tracked on the OSMF post-viral programme alongside ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS and MCAS. Across the programme, 423 candidate agents are logged for Long COVID, most of them preliminary; this page isolates the record for one of them.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 30.5 (trials 2.5, literature 23.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 18 (14 PubMed search records, 3 clinical trial publications, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Behavioural (Behavioral / Protocol / Exercise) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Investigational |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | OSMF therapeutic agent database, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05204511 | Exercise and Post-COVID/ Long-COVID: Effects of Different Training Modalities on Various Parameters in People Affected by the Sequelae of CO University of Vienna · 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 66 |
Published literature
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Endurance training increases tmTNF-α and IL-6 levels in several vital organs in rats: relationship with hypoxia markers.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2026 · PMID 42222673
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) How Inflamed Is the Horse in Training? Insights into Exercise-Induced Acute Phase Response in Endurance Horses.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026 · PMID 41828552
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Acute effects of dietary whey protein supplementation after endurance exercise on serum osteokine and inflammatory cytokine concentrations in endurance runners.Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme · 2026 · PMID 41506728
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Resilience against exercise-related coronary atherosclerosis: A case study in a master athlete participating in 500 marathons.Sports medicine and health science · 2026 · PMID 41737589
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Preseason neuromuscular versus endurance training leads to greater improvements in isokinetic strength, muscle damage, and inflammation parameters in highly trained female soccer players.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025 · PMID 40307934
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Long-Distance Trail Running Induces Inflammatory-Associated Protein, Lipid, and Purine Oxidation in Red Blood Cells.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025 · PMID 40291720
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Training Status Influences Regulation of Muscle and PBMC TLR4 Expression and Systemic Cytokine Responses to Vigorous Endurance Exercise.Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 2025 · PMID 39625335
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Endurance Training Alleviates Metabolic-Associated Fatty-Liver Disease (MAFLD)-Related Testicular Impairments via Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Regulation.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2025 · PMID 40313012
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Effect of a 12-Week Endurance Training Program on Circulating Extracellular Vesicle Proteome in Sedentary Adults With Obesity.Journal of extracellular biology · 2025 · PMID 40994722
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Divergent Cardiac Adaptations in Endurance Sport: Atrial Fibrillation Markers in Marathon Versus Ultramarathon Athletes.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2025 · PMID 40710785
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Modulation of hormonal, metabolic, inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome following combined (resistant and endurance) training: a randomized controlled trail.BMC endocrine disorders · 2025 · PMID 39748376
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) The Synergistic Effect of Intradialytic Concurrent Training and Melatonin Supplementation on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Hemodialysis Patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024 · PMID 39594432
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Overnight sleeping heart rate variability of Army recruits during a 12-week basic military training course.European journal of applied physiology · 2022 · PMID 35833968
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) IL-6 and HSPA1A Gene Polymorphisms May Influence the Levels of the Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Parameters and Their Response to a Chronic Swimming Training.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022 · PMID 35805787
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 39665835
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 37698618
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 36111386
- Systematic review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 38841775
Mechanism and notes
This is a behavioural, rehabilitation or protocol-based intervention rather than a molecule, so no pharmacological mechanism is recorded.
Clinical notes: Investigational for listed conditions. 1 associated trial(s) and 0 study reference(s) in current data. Review primary sources and consult specialists before use.
Safety: Limited specific safety data in these populations. Review full prescribing information and consult specialist. Many agents used off-label or investigational.
Dosing in studies: See linked studies/trials for reported doses and durations; typical protocols vary widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Endurance Training approved for Long COVID?
Endurance Training is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Long COVID; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Endurance Training in clinical trials for Long COVID?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Endurance Training to Long COVID: 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 66 participants. Registered activity dates to 2022.
What does the evidence show for Endurance Training in Long COVID?
Endurance Training has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Long COVID. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), taken from the OSMF therapeutic agent database, which grades agents by the volume and design of condition-specific evidence rather than by effect size.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-10-07. Page built 2026-10-07.