Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Behavior, Perception of Threat, Stress and Training Patterns of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

Abstract

Background: The aims of this study were to analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent confinement on behaviors, perception of threat, stress, state of mind and training patterns among Olympic and Paralympic level athletes. Methods: Data gathering was performed utilizing an online questionnaire during imposed confinement. A correlational design with incidental sampling for convenience was used. All the variables were analyzed by age, gender, academic training, type of participation and sport specialty on a population composed of 447 Olympic (age: 26.0 ± 7.5 years) and 64 Paralympic (age: 28.4 ± 10.5 years) athletes. Results: The athletes trained more than twice as many hours before than during confinement. Most of the athletes recognized that their best athletic performance diminished due to the COVID-19 confinement but that will recover after the pandemic and its confinements. Almost half of the athletes declared they were more tired than normal and had difficulty sleeping, while more than half ate more or less as usual. Paralympic athletes reported they felt more capable to cope with personal problems and life events and felt less lonely during the confinement than the Olympians. The athletes from team sports reported to be more affected in their training routine than athletes of individual sports, seeing their athletic performance more affected. Athletes in individual sports felt more able to cope with personal problems than athletes in team sports. Female athletes were significantly more tired and reported more difficulty sleeping than male athletes. Conclusion: The situation caused by COVID-19 has had significant effects on the behavior, perception of threat, stress and training patterns of Olympic and Paralympic athletes preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is necessary that sports institutions reinforce mechanisms of help for athletes during future situations of confinement.

Relationship between Sports and Personal Variables and the Competitive Anxiety of Colombian Elite Athletes of Olympic and Paralympic Sports

“…One possible explanation for these results is that the sample in our study was composed entirely of the best elite athletes within a country, as opposed to the aforementioned studies, and top-level athletes may have much more psychological training and experience from years of competition, which allows the equalisation of the levels of anxiety symptoms between men and women. In fact, when male and female Olympic and Paralympic athletes were analysed during the COVID-19 crisis, no differences were found in anxiety symptoms levels [30,31]. Likewise, another study compared male and female soccer professionals, that is, elite players, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the results indicated that state anxiety and trait anxiety in males were greater than in females, on average [18].…”

“…The results of studies carried out with Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the COVID-19 health crisis showed differences depending on the level of education, with athletes with university education having a more positive assessment of the situation than athletes with a lower level of education [31]. Likewise, another study with a similar sample of athletes observed that the group of athletes with professional training was more worried about a reduction in their athletic ability because of the confinement than the group with only a university education [30].…”

“…As for the different levels of anxiety symptoms when comparing elite athletes in adapted and nonadapted sports, the results of a recent study conducted with Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the health crisis caused by COVID-19 did not show significant differences between these populations in terms of feeling nervous/anxious or stressed [30]. The study found anxiety symptoms levels in line with the nonpathological population, showing that the quarantine did not have an impact on the anxiety symptoms response of Olympic and Paralympic athletes [31].…”

Levels of Physical Activity and Psychological Well-Being in Non-Athletes and Martial Art Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…At the individual level, alterations have been evidenced in habitual practices, work, interpersonal relations, health and leisure, and sports, among others, which affect the physical and psychological health of people [ 5 , 6 , 9 ]. Several publications have reported the interest in this topic by researchers who have studied SARS-CoV-2 in athletes from different sports disciplines: Olympic and Paralympic [ 12 ] elites and semi-elites [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]; athletes [ 16 ]; handball players [ 17 ]; chess players [ 18 ]; or martial arts [ 11 ].…”

“…According to global public health data, physical activity levels were considered a widespread problem due to the lack of practice before the COVID-19 pandemic [ 12 ]. In Latin America, especially in Colombia, citizens between 18 and 64 years old were inactive according to the guidelines from the World Health Organization.…”