2.2. Participant Screening and Training Protocol
infectious disease, MP, fatigue, FM
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Participants were enrolled from the outpatient clinic of the unit of Infectious Diseases of the IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute (Milan, Italy), following indications of the caring physicians and using patient communities’ channels. Potential participants were screened by an infectious disease specialist (PC). Moreover, a sports medicine doctor (CC) performed a 12-derivation electrocardiogram (ECG) at rest. Patients who met the above inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study.The physical activity protocol for EG and CG was designed using an AP strategy, which helped participants manage fatigue by splitting the exercise session into more feasible exercise portions. Following the first two weeks, each participant received a tailored program consisting of 2 to 4 outdoor sessions per week of aerobic training (brisk walking). Professional coaches (FM and MP) prescribed both continuous and intermittent training sessions [Using PASS log-in credentials, the authorized team members (FM and MP) could access the participants’ data on exercise (identified by a code number) on a customized form. Every week, participants from both EG and CG were contacted by telephone to receive advice on how to optimally manage subsequent sessions (at a perceived fatigue level of 2–3 of the Borg scale) and be counseled about the use of digital devices (by FM and MP). Anonymized data from the PASS server were also transferred onto an Excel spreadsheet for analysis.Training sessions were held from February to October 2022. Adherence to the training protocol was defined as the proportion of sessions completed during the entire study period. It was calculated only among patients with a complete W18 assessment, through PASS. Cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, laboratory, and psychological data were measured at baseline (W0) and at the end (W18) of the study. 