Author:
Washif Jad Adrian,Sandbakk Øyvind,Seiler Stephen,Haugen Thomas,Farooq Abdulaziz,Quarrie Ken,Janse van Rensburg Dina C.,Krug Isabel,Verhagen Evert,Wong Del P.,Mujika Iñigo,Cortis Cristina,Haddad Monoem,Ahmadian Omid,Al Jufaili Mahmood,Al-Horani Ramzi A.,Al-Mohannadi Abdulla Saeed,Aloui Asma,Ammar Achraf,Arifi Fitim,Aziz Abdul Rashid,Batuev Mikhail,Beaven Christopher Martyn,Beneke Ralph,Bici Arben,Bishnoi Pallawi,Bogwasi Lone,Bok Daniel,Boukhris Omar,Boullosa Daniel,Bragazzi Nicola,Brito Joao,Palacios Cartagena Roxana Paola,Chaouachi Anis,Cheung Stephen S.,Chtourou Hamdi,Cosma Germina,Debevec Tadej,DeLang Matthew D.,Dellal Alexandre,Dönmez Gürhan,Driss Tarak,Peña Duque Juan David,Eirale Cristiano,Elloumi Mohamed,Foster Carl,Franchini Emerson,Fusco Andrea,Galy Olivier,Gastin Paul B.,Gill Nicholas,Girard Olivier,Gregov Cvita,Halson Shona,Hammouda Omar,Hanzlíková Ivana,Hassanmirzaei Bahar,Hébert-Losier Kim,Muñoz Helú Hussein,Herrera-Valenzuela Tomás,Hettinga Florentina J.,Holtzhausen Louis,Hue Olivier,Dello Iacono Antonio,Ihalainen Johanna K.,James Carl,Joseph Saju,Kamoun Karim,Khaled Mehdi,Khalladi Karim,Kim Kwang Joon,Kok Lian-Yee,MacMillan Lewis,Mataruna-Dos-Santos Leonardo Jose,Matsunaga Ryo,Memishi Shpresa,Millet Grégoire P.,Moussa-Chamari Imen,Musa Danladi Ibrahim,Nguyen Hoang Minh Thuan,Nikolaidis Pantelis T.,Owen Adam,Padulo Johnny,Pagaduan Jeffrey Cabayan,Perera Nirmala Panagodage,Pérez-Gómez Jorge,Pillay Lervasen,Popa Arporn,Pudasaini Avishkar,Rabbani Alizera,Rahayu Tandiyo,Romdhani Mohamed,Salamh Paul,Sarkar Abu-Sufian,Schillinger Andy,Setyawati Heny,Shrestha Navina,Suraya Fatona,Tabben Montassar,Trabelsi Khaled,Urhausen Axel,Valtonen Maarit,Weber Johanna,Whiteley Rodney,Zrane Adel,Zerguini Yacine,Zmijewski Piotr,Ben Saad Helmi,Pyne David B.,Taylor Lee,Chamari Karim
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.
Subject
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation