Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity and risk of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 hospitalization: the HUNT study

Key Points

• Higher exercise capacity lowers hospitalization risk for COVID-19 compared to low fitness levels.
• Participants with high levels of physical activity experience a reduced chance of severe health outcomes associated with COVID-19.
• Analysis across a large cohort shows a clear link between fitness metrics and hospitalization rates during the pandemic.
• Findings indicate that enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness might be beneficial in reducing severe COVID-19 cases.