Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Body Composition and Physical Performance of Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

Sporting events were cancelled, and sports training was banned to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the physical activity levels, increased sedentary time, and also impaired the mental health of elite and sub-elite athletes. The impact on body composition and physical performance is not clear, however, especially considering a systematic review with meta-analysis. Thus, our objective was to conduct a review in accordance with the PRISMA Statement studies published in scientific journals (PubMed, Web of Science, or Scopus databases) that investigated the effect that social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic had on the physical performance (muscle power, cardiorespiratory capacity, and sprint) or body composition (body weight, percentage of fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass) of athletes. Data from 24 studies indicate that, throughout the global lockdown, the athletes maintained muscle power, cardiorespiratory capacity, and sprint, and prevented significant changes in fat mass and fat-free mass. However, the total body weight (meta-analysis with 18 studies), showed a significant increase (p = 0.006), with a small ES = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.21. Furthermore, the time of follow-up, level of training, and the age of the athletes were possible moderators of these effects. The data reinforce the importance of general strength and endurance exercises sessions to maintain physical fitness during non-competitive periods or due to the mandatory lockdown.

Effects on Children's Physical and Mental Well-Being of a Physical-Activity-Based School Intervention Program: A Randomized Study

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physically active breaks of a total duration of 10 min a day, introduced during curricular lessons, together with a 10 min physical activity intervention during the daily school recess period on obesity prevention, fitness, cognitive function, and psychological well-being in school-aged children. A sample of 310 children (139 boys vs. 171 girls), aged between 8 and 10 years (9.82 ± 0.51), was selected. Our strategy was implemented over a 6-month period and the participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 157) or the non-intervention (control) group (n =153). In the intervention group, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body mass index, waist circumference, waist-height ratio, and relative body fat mass was achieved after the intervention (T1) compared to the values measured before intervention (T0); in the control group, no differences emerged between T0 and T1 for any of the parameters considered. We found a significant increase in the intervention group in standing long jump, Ruffier, and sit and reach test scores (p < 0.001 for all). At T0, cognitive test scores did not differ between the girls and boys or between the intervention and control groups; instead at T1, significant differences were observed in the two groups regarding the total number of responses and the concentration performance scores (p < 0.001). Consistently, in the intervention group, well-being levels significantly increased between T0 and T1 (p < 0.001). Finally, the intervention had significant effects on the children regardless of gender. We may therefore conclude that schools should create more opportunities for teachers and students to introduce intervention strategies to promote regular PA during school recess.

Vitamin D Supplementation Has No Impact on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, but Improves Inflammatory Status in Vitamin D Deficient Young Men Engaged in Resistance Training

Data on the effect of vitamin D (Vit-D) supplementation on cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) are conflicting. A possible source of discrepancies in the literature is the heterogeneity in baseline Vit-D status among participants in previous studies. The main objectives of the present study were to assess the impact of Vit-D supplementation on VO2max and inflammatory status in Vit-D deficient young healthy men. Participants (n = 39, baseline serum Vit-D level < 50 nmol/L) were quasi-randomly assigned to one of the two groups, which, in a double-blind manner, supplemented their diet daily with either Vit-D (8000 IU; VD) or placebo (PLC) and concomitantly performed a 12-week supervised resistance training program. During the 12-week intervention, serum Vit-D concentrations increased 3.9-fold (p < 0.001) in the VD group while no changes occurred in the PLC group. Baseline VO2max did not differ in the two groups and remained unchanged during the intervention. Serum interleukin-10/tumour necrosis factor alpha ratio increased significantly (30%, p = 0.007; effect size 0.399) in VD but not in PLC group. In conclusion, 12-week Vit-D supplementation increases serum 25(OH)D levels and improves inflammatory status, but has no impact on VO2max in Vit-D deficient young men engaged in resistance training.

Training load, sports performance, physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort of Swiss elite athletes

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions have led to abrupt changes in the lives of elite athletes.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to examine training load, subjective sports performance, physical and mental health among Swiss elite athletes during a 6-month follow-up period starting with the first Swiss lockdown.

METHODS

Swiss elite athletes (n = 203) participated in a repeated online survey evaluating health, training, and performance related metrics. After the first assessment during the first lockdown between April and May 2020, there were monthly follow-ups over 6 months.

RESULTS

Out of 203 athletes completing the first survey during the first lockdown, 73 athletes (36%) completed all assessments during the entire 6-month follow-up period. Sports performance and training load decreased during the first lockdown and increased again at the beginning of the second lockdown in October 2020, while symptoms of depression and financial fears showed only a transient increase during the first lockdown. Self-reported injuries and illnesses did not change significantly at any timepoint in the study. Stricter COVID-19 restrictions, as measured by the Government Stringency Index (GSI), were associated with reduced subjective sports performance, as well as lower training intensity, increased financial fears, poorer coping with restrictions, and more depressive symptoms, as measured by the 9-item module of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed a negative impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on sports performance, training load and mental health among Swiss elite athletes, while the rate of self-reported injuries and illnesses remained unaffected.

Monitoring Psychometric States of Recovery to Improve Performance in Soccer Players: A Brief Review

In order to maximize adaptations and to avoid nonfunctional overreaching syndrome or noncontact injury, coaches in high-performance sports must regularly monitor recovery before and after competitions/important training sessions and maintain well-being status. Therefore, quantifying and evaluating psychometric states of recovery during the season in sports teams such as soccer is important. Over the last years, there has been substantial growth in research related to psychometric states of recovery in soccer. The increase in research on this topic is coincident with the increase in popularity obtained by subjective monitoring of the pre-fatigue state of the players before each training sessions or match with a strong emphasis on the effects of well-being or recovery state. Among the subjective methods for players’ control, the Hooper index (HI) assesses the quality of sleep during the previous night, overall stress, fatigue, and delayed-onset muscle soreness. Additionally, the total quality of recovery (TQR) scale measures recovery status. The HI and TQR recorded before each training session or match were affected by the variability of training load (TL) and influenced the physical and technical performances, and the affective aspects of soccer players. Researchers have recommended wellness monitoring soccer players’ psychometric state of recovery before each training session or match in order to detect early signs of fatigue and optimize high-level training performance. This method allows for better detecting signs of individual fatigue and allows coaches to adapt and readjust the TL, and avoid physical and technical gaps in order to improve the performance of soccer players.