en فيزيولوژی ورزشی و شاخه‌های وابسته بدان Sport Physiology and its related branches مقاله اصیل Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background. </strong>Persistent symptoms and physiological disorders that occur after the acute phase of COVID-19 disease are collectively referred to as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS).<br> <strong>Objectives. </strong>Symptoms that become permanent after the acute phase in individuals with COVID-19 are called PACS. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on musculoskeletal health.<br> <strong>Methods. </strong>Forty physiotherapists, with a mean age of 32.00 &plusmn; 3.58 years, participated in the study. Twenty were in the post-acute-COVID period (PCG), and 20 were in a healthy control group (HCG) who had never had COVID-19. Wrist circumferences were measured, and dominant hands were identified. Hand grip strength (HGT) was assessed with a hydraulic dynamometer, while wrist flexion and extension strength were measured with an electronic dynamometer. The results of PCG and HCG participants were compared.<br> <strong>Results.</strong> Our findings show that PCG individuals had a significant decrease in grip strength in their non-dominant left hand (32.18 &plusmn; 5.21 kg) compared to the HCG group (36.38 &plusmn; 4.81 kg; p<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in right-hand grip strength (PCG: 33.93 &plusmn; 5.68 kg; HCG: 37.37 &plusmn; 4.75 kg; p>0.05) or isometric muscle strength. The decreased left-hand grip strength was interpreted as a compensatory mechanism for the loss of strength on the dominant side, where the dominant hand was used more frequently after the illness.<br> <strong>Conclusion. </strong>The data suggest that COVID-19 may lead to decreased muscle performance rather than direct structural impairments. In particular, left-hand grip strength was significantly reduced by 4.2 kg (PCG: 32.18 &plusmn; 5.21 kg vs. HCG: 36.38 &plusmn; 4.81 kg; p<0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed in right-hand grip strength or isometric muscle strength. Although wrist circumference was significantly smaller in PCG participants (p < 0.05), the lack of a significant difference in the Extension Contraction Test (ECT) suggests that functional recovery of frequently used muscle groups is possible after the illness. These findings are crucial for designing effective rehabilitation strategies and informing future research.</div> COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Muscle Strength, Muscle Function 0 0 http://aassjournal.com/browse.php?a_code=A-11-2423-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mehtap Erdoğan mehtaperdogan@sakarya.edu.tr 100319475328460017262 100319475328460017262 Yes Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, 54100, Sakarya, Turkey Tuncay Çolak tuncayc@kocaeli.edu.tr 100319475328460017263 100319475328460017263 No Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, 41100, Kocaeli, Turkey Serap Çolak serap.colak@kocaeli.edu.tr 100319475328460017264 100319475328460017264 No Kocaeli University, Faculty of Sport Science, 41100, Kocaeli, Turkey Gazmend Rahova grahova@gmail.com 100319475328460017265 100319475328460017265 No Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, 41100, Kocaeli, Turkey