Transplant recipients currently face barriers to joining sports events, Paralympic competitions, and school physical education, largely because there are no established admission rules. In time, that hurdle could disappear as official permission is granted based on scientific criteria. The team at Sechenov University, which operates under the Russian Ministry of Health, is collecting data on physical activity levels, overall health status, and quality of life to underpin a formal document. This information is being gathered with the support of the press service of the First Moscow State Medical University. Sechenov.
The pool of people receiving donor organs is growing. In Russia, roughly 200 children undergo organ transplants each year, and more adults are living longer with transplanted organs. This upward trend underscores the need for clear, inclusive participation rules across sports and health programs.
There is a strong demand among patients to participate in various games and competitions, yet the absence of regulatory guidelines blocks access. There are no defined rules for adaptive physical activities or for integrating transplant recipients into high level sport events. The absence of clear health criteria for competition has become a pivotal issue that needs to be resolved to enable broader participation by transplant recipients in sports, including potential Paralympic opportunities, in the future. Evidence from experts at Sechenov University suggests that establishing health-based participation criteria would provide a solid legal framework to support access for patients who have undergone transplantation, paving the way for mass involvement in sport participation (attribution: Sechenov University researchers).
The World Transplant Games, which have included participants who have received organ transplants since their inception in 1978, expanded to Russia in 2022. This milestone reflects growing interest and capability for transplant athletes to compete on an international stage, reinforcing the case for national programs to support adaptive sport participation.
Researchers from Sechenov University interviewed more than 150 prospective participants in the All-Russian Transplant Games, drawing from diverse regions of the country, including child participants. During the event, researchers conducted several instrumental assessments, measuring heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry in the cohort previously interviewed. These measurements provide objective data related to the physiological responses of transplant athletes during sport and activity.
To date, similar comprehensive studies have not been conducted within Russia. Capturing data specifically for the Russian context is therefore essential to ensure relevance and applicability to local medical practice and regulatory frameworks. The gathered information will support four studies that will examine how physical activity levels relate to quality of life and cardiovascular risk among transplant athletes, pediatric participants, and patients with chronic kidney failure who rely on donor organs. The research aims to illuminate the boundaries of safe participation and to identify opportunities for improving health outcomes through sport.
Ultimately, the findings are expected to raise physician awareness and improve medical guidance for transplant patients. The new data should help clinicians better understand what people can safely do after transplantation and how to avoid unnecessary limitations while promoting an active, healthy lifestyle for those who have undergone major medical procedures. The overarching goal is to translate research into practical recommendations that clinicians can apply when advising patients about sport, activity, and longterm well-being. This work embodies a practical, evidencebased approach to expanding access to physical activity for transplant recipients across Russia, with potential implications for neighboring regions as well. The focus remains on enabling healthier lives through informed participation in sport, rather than prescribing rigid restrictions that dampen patients’ motivation and resilience. It is a forward looking effort that aligns medical science with inclusive athletic opportunity, inviting more people to experience the benefits of movement after transplantation.