COVID-19 Lockdown: A Global Study Investigating the Effect of Athletes’ Sport Classification and Sex on Training Practices

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. Methods: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May–July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. Results: During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (∼50%) than other sports (∼35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed cardiorespiratory training (trivial sex differences). Compared to prelockdown, perceived training intensity was reduced by 29% to 41%, depending on sport (largest decline: ∼38% in team sports, unaffected by sex). Some athletes (range: 7%–49%) maintained their training intensity for strength, endurance, speed, plyometric, change-of-direction, and technical training. Athletes who previously trained ≥5 sessions per week reduced their volume (range: 18%–28%) during lockdown. The proportion of athletes (81%) training ≥60 min/session reduced by 31% to 43% during lockdown. Males and females had comparable moderate levels of training knowledge (56% vs 58%) and beliefs/attitudes (54% vs 56%). Conclusions: Changes in athletes’ training practices were sport-specific, with few or no sex differences. Team-based sports were generally more susceptible to changes than individual sports. Policy makers should provide athletes with specific training arrangements and educational resources to facilitate remote and/or home-based training during lockdown-type events.

Training practices of Filipino athletes during the early covid-19 lockdown

“…In regard to purpose of training, females demonstrated a greater tendency for maintenance of muscle balance as a training priority than males. This result was not observed in a global study (Washif, et al, 2022c) that found more female athletes prioritizing fitness/health maintenance, abdominal strength, and flexibility. These data indicate an influence of country-specific related to training priority when considering sex difference.…”

“…Males and females demonstrated reduced training frequency and duration in the Philippines. These findings somehow support the global trend during COVID-19 lockdown (Washif, et al, 2022c). In regard to purpose of training, females demonstrated a greater tendency for maintenance of muscle balance as a training priority than males.…”

“…Compared to males, female athletes reported greater mood disruptions associated with increased perceived stress, and dysfunctional psycho-biosocial states (di Fronso, et al, 2022). Also, more females reported increased anxious feelings and mental vulnerability during lockdown compared to males (Washif, et al, 2022c). Similar outcomes were reported amongst young individuals in the Philippines during the early pandemic (Tee, et al, 2020).…”

“…In this study, while both groups exhibited similar training frequency and duration before and during lockdown, information in regard to utility of equipment/facility is unknown. Maintenance of sportspecific training practices was reported to be easier in individual and less equipment-dependent sports (e.g., endurance), compared with more interactive or technically demanding sports (e.g., team; field sports), which were more dramatically impacted during lockdown (Washif, et al, 2022c). Including other factors related to equipment/facility usage of individual and team athletes during lockdown in future studies may help elucidate other valuable information in training practices under pandemicenforced confinement.…”

“…During lockdown, significant changes in training practices were reported among athletes (Pillay, et al, 2020;Washif, et al, 2022a). Team sports activities, where athletes routinely interact with opponents, were no longer possible (Washif, et al, 2022c). Therefore, athletes resorted to home-based physical training (e.g., bodyweight and cardiorespiratory training) to maintain fitness (Hammami, Harrabi, Mohr, & Krustrup, 2020;Washif, Mohd Kassim, Lew, Chong, & James, 2021).…”