Keywords
Health Care Competency
Abstract
Active rehabilitation, including prescribed sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise implemented during the acute phase of recovery after sport-related concussion, has been shown to facilitate recovery and reduce the risk of persisting postconcussion symptoms. The purpose of this validation case series was to evaluate currently available external evidence regarding the effects of prescribed aerobic exercise interventions on recovery after sport-related concussion. For this study, the patient population included college athletes diagnosed with a sport-related concussion who participated in at least 5 days per week of supervised, prescribed aerobic exercise, based on graded aerobic exercise testing and heart rate threshold. Our study findings confirm that prescribed exercise intervention improves recovery time among patients diagnosed with sport-related concussion. Patients in this study had a median recovery time of 9 days (IQR 8– 17), compared with a separate study in which participants in the aerobic exercise group had a median recovery time of 12 days (IQR 10–22). The clinical bottom line is that athletic healthcare clinicians can develop and implement prescribed exercise treatment plans and protocols throughout their daily clinical practice. This treatment approach has been demonstrated to be effective in routine patient care, as evidenced by this validation case series. Furthermore, the findings from this study can help guide best practices in concussion care, the delivery of high-quality patient-centered care, and enhance the body of knowledge in athletic healthcare.
Recommended Citation
Chapel, Lacy L. and Valovich McLeod, Tamara C.
(2026)
"Prescribed Aerobic Exercise and Sport-Related Concussion Recovery: A Validation Case Series,"
Clinical Practice in Athletic Training: Vol. 9:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/clinat/vol9/iss1/1
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