TABLE 2.

Schedule of ergometric data collection in Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 in the prospective multicenter cohort study (COVID-19 in German competitive sports: Protocol for a prospective multicenter cohort study; Germany, 2020).

	Cohort 1				Cohort 2
Time point	t 0	t 1	t 2	t 3	t 0	t 1	t 2	t 3	t 4
Month	0	6	12	18	0	6	12	18	24
Exercise testing
Incremental exercise test a
- Twelve-lead-electrocardiogram	X		X		X		X		X
- Blood pressure	X		X		X		X		X
- Capillary blood lactate b	X		X		X		X		X
- Rate of perceived exertion (BORG-scale) c	X		X		X		X		X
- Pulse oximetry	X		X		X		X		X
- Breath gas analysis/Spiroergometry (optional) d	X		X		X		X		X
Additional ramp test (if possible) e
- Breath gas analysis/Spiroergometry f	X		X
- Capillary blood lactate (pre/post exercise)	X		X
- Capillary blood gases	X		X

^aTreadmill, bicycle, canoe or rowing ergometry with stepwise increase of exercise load until voluntary exhaustion. The incremental exercise test is performed in both cohorts.

^bCalculation of exercise load at the lactate threshold (LT), individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) and at the end of exercise from the lactate-performance curve.

^cAssessment of perceived exertion (RPE) pre-exercise, at the end of every stage during the test and post-exercise according the qualities “overall,” “muscular,” and “ventilatory.”

^dAdditional breath gas analysis is performed in cases where breath gas analysis was also performed in an existing previous test.

^eAn additional ramp test with breath gas analysis is performed only in C1 provided that the athletes tolerate a second test. Protocol: bicycle ergometry, starting at an initial load of .5 W per kilogram body mass with a continuous increment of .5 W per kilogram body mass until voluntary exhaustion.

^fMeasures: maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1), respiratory compensation point (RCP), maximum minute ventilation (VEmax), tidal volume, oxygen pulse, ventilatory equivalents (VE/VO2 and VE/VCO2), endtidal VCO2 (ET- VCO2).