Effects of Exercise on ACE2

Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for more severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) courses and higher mortality particularly among younger (age<50 years) hospitalized patients (1). In addition to obesity, conditions that are typically associated with lower physical activity (higher age, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are associated with worse clinical outcomes of COVID‐19 (2). Regular physical exercise promotes immune defense and decreases susceptibility to pathogenic microorganisms, including viruses. Under the time pressure of the current COVID‐19 pandemic, rapid scientific discoveries together with clinical observations provided a number of potential drug targets. However, so far neither vaccines nor effective and safe pharmacotherapies against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) exist. Therefore, the potential effect of non‐pharmacological strategies, particularly moderate exercise, should be considered as an approach to reduce the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection related burden. Whether physical exercise affects propagation of SARS‐CoV‐2, or the course of COVID‐19 is currently unknown.