Mitochondrial Impairment May Be a Primary Cause for Fatigue in People with Long COVID

Article title: Structural and functional impairments of skeletal muscle in patients with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Authors: Marta Colosio, Lorenza Brocca, Marco F. Gatti, Marianna Neri, Emanuela Crea, Francesca Cadile, Monica Canepari, Maria Antonietta Pellegrino, Biagio Polla, Simone Porcelli, Roberto Bottinelli

From the authors: “The present study supports the hypothesis that ‘peripheral’ impairments at skeletal muscle level, namely, reduced mitochondrial function and markers of mitochondrial biogenesis, are major determinants of exercise intolerance and fatigue, ‘central’ phenomena at respiratory, and cardiac level being less relevant.”

This study is highlighted as one of November’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.