Strategies for Athletes’ Return to Play Following COVID-19 Infection: A Comprehensive Review

The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) has had a significant impact on mass and competitive sports worldwide. Our previous findings revealed health risks for the general population during the home quarantine period in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the negative effects of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems of professional athletes, as well as the persistent symptoms of long COVID, can not be ignored. Premature or inappropriate exercise training after recovery from COVID-19 may lead to additional health problems. In order to ensure that athletes can participate in daily training and competitions with better physical fitness, motor function and psychological state, a return-toplay(RTP) strategy is particularly important after COVID-19. Based on domestic and foreign literature, this paper focuses on the accurate pre-training assessment after recovery, rational training monitoring and medical supervision at the beginning of training resumption, medical assessment for return-to-play, psychological diagnosis and regulation and personalized nutrition regimens. In addition, the study includes the typical case analysis of elite athletes, and provides practical and effective suggestions for promoting the rapid and safe return to play of athletes after recovering from COVID-19 in China.