Digital Workout Versus Team Training: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Athletes

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport practice and to identify measures adopted by individuals and sports organizations to allow a safe return to community sports. An electronic survey was launched worldwide in June 2020 in the German and English languages. The questionnaire collected anonymous data on sporting activity before, during, and after pandemic-induced confinement. Participants classified themselves as either recreational, competitive, or professional sports level athletes. A total of 1336 adults (30.5±11.7 years; 54.0% women) participated in the survey; 68.5% were active athletes, 10.1% coaches, 2.1% officials and 4.3% related medical staff, 3.6% had another function, and 11.4% indicated no regular sports activity. Most participants practiced their sport in Europe (93.8%); the majority (61.0%) was amateur athletes. During confinement, 15.7% could perform their main sport unrestricted, 43.5% stated a reduced amount of time spent on sporting activities, 46.4% a reduced intensity level. Most participants (77.5%) were neither aware of screening measures nor of guidelines for dealing with infected athletes (80.0%) or for return to sports after a coronavirus infection (88.6%). Preventive measures mentioned included basic hygiene, measures to reduce personal contacts or virus transmission, or to improve traceability of infections. During confinement, a higher age (p=0.004) and training in a club setting (p<0.001) were associated with reduced sporting activity, while the availability of online training (p=0.030) was linked to both increased extent and intensity levels. A lower age (p=0.001) and recreational sports level (p=0.005) were associated with decreased activity after confinement. Although isolation can be necessary to protect public health, it alters the amount and intensity of physical activity.

The Impact of the SARS-COVID-19 Lockdowns on the Subjectively Perceived Performance Level of Amateur Athletes after Returning to the Gyms

“…Interestingly, younger athletes and those involved in individual sports often increased their sporting activities during the lockdown, thereby improving their fitness levels compared with those who were less active or inactive [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 21 , 22 ]. Other studies indicate that older athletes (over 55 years) and team sports athletes encountered more difficulties in maintaining regular sporting activities during and after the lockdown [ 4 , 19 , 23 ].…”

“…For older athletes [ 24 ], this could be due to the less accessible online resources provided by gyms or sports facilities. The absence of the social aspect of team sports during the lockdown also resulted in lower motivation to exercise and, thus, less sporting activity [ 19 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Sports coaching during the pandemic: Predicaments encountered by Filipino physical education teachers and potential strategies

“…In fact, Schneider et al (2022) found that online training sessions offer a viable means to sustain physical activity, especially during periods of required isolation, so individuals can engage in fitness routines remotely through virtual platforms. Aside from that, online training programmes can also provide opportunities for coaches and athletes to gain new insights and improve abilities, apart from physical training.…”

“…The first is to organise online training, and the second is to conduct at-home training. Schneider et al (2022) stated that an online training programme or session can be utilised in order for individuals to be able to continue and resume healthy sports practice. Likewise, online training sessions have been one of the few options in most countries affected by the COVID-19 lockdown (Teodorescu et al, 2021).…”

Exploring the Influence of Sports on Student-Athletes’ Competitive Mindsets during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…During this time, competitions were suddenly disrupted, but as team sports were temporarily halted, some individual sports gained popularity amid the period of isolation, such as chess (Fuentes-Garcia et al, 2020), cycling (Budi et al, 2021), and esports (Crone, 2022). (Tjønndal, 2021) and virtual competitions (Schneider et al, 2022). Training shifted to synchronous and asynchronous modalities, referring to live virtual interactions between the team and sessions that are nonconcurrent in time, respectively (Cardinali et al, 2022).…”