Objective Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March–June 2020). Results Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to “maintain training,” and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is “okay to not train during lockdown,” with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered “coaching by correspondence (remote coaching)” to be sufficient (highest amongst world-class athletes). During lockdown, < 40% were able to maintain sport-specific training (e.g., long endurance [39%], interval training [35%], weightlifting [33%], plyometric exercise [30%]) at pre-lockdown levels (higher among world-class, international, and national athletes), with most (83%) training for “general fitness and health maintenance” during lockdown. Athletes trained alone (80%) and focused on bodyweight (65%) and cardiovascular (59%) exercise/training during lockdown. Compared with before lockdown, most athletes reported reduced training frequency (from between five and seven sessions per week to four or fewer), shorter training sessions (from ≥ 60 to < 60 min), and lower sport-specific intensity (~ 38% reduction), irrespective of athlete classification. Conclusions COVID-19-related lockdowns saw marked reductions in athletic training specificity, intensity, frequency, and duration, with notable within-sample differences (by athlete classification). Higher classification athletes had the strongest desire to “maintain” training and the greatest opposition to “not training” during lockdowns. These higher classification athletes retained training specificity to a greater degree than others, probably because of preferential access to limited training resources. More higher classification athletes considered “coaching by correspondence” as sufficient than did lower classification athletes. These lockdown-mediated changes in training were not conducive to maintenance or progression of athletes’ physical capacities and were also likely detrimental to athletes’ mental health. These data can be used by policy makers, athletes, and their multidisciplinary teams to modulate their practice, with a degree of individualization, in the current and continued pandemic-related scenario. Furthermore, the data may drive training-related educational resources for athletes and their multidisciplinary teams. Such upskilling would provide athletes with evidence to inform their training modifications in response to germane situations (e.g., COVID related, injury, and illness).

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.

Purpose: We evaluated the extent of changes in training practices, recovery, mental health, and sleep patterns of athletes during the early COVID-19 lockdown in a single country-cohort.Methods: A total of 686 athletes (59% male, 41% female; 9% World Class, 28% International, 29% National, 26% State, 8% Recreational) from 50 sports (45% individual, 55% team) in Malaysia completed an online, survey-based questionnaire study. The questions were related to training practices (including recovery and injury), mental health, and sleep patterns.Results: Relative to pre-lockdown, training intensity (−34%), frequency (−20%, except World-Class), and duration (−24%–59%, especially International/World-Class) were compromised, by the mandated lockdown. During the lockdown, more space/access (69%) and equipment (69%) were available for cardiorespiratory training, than technical and strength; and these resources favoured World-Class athletes. Most athletes trained for general strength/health (88%) and muscular endurance (71%); and some used innovative/digital training tools (World-Class 48% vs. lower classification-levels ≤34%). More World-Class, International, and National athletes performed strength training, plyometrics, and sport-specific technical skills with proper equipment, than State/Recreational athletes. More females (42%) sourced training materials from social media than males (29%). Some athletes (38%) performed injury prevention exercises; 18% had mild injuries (knees 29%, ankles 26%), and 18% received a medical diagnosis (International 31%). Lower-level athletes (e.g., State 44%) disclosed that they were mentally more vulnerable; and felt more anxious (36% vs. higher-levels 14%–21%). Sleep quality and quantity were “normal” (49% for both), “improved” (35% and 27%), and only 16% and 14% (respectively) stated “worsened” sleep.Conclusion: Lockdown compromised training-related practices, especially in lower-level athletes. Athletes are in need of assistance with training, and tools to cope with anxiety that should be tailored to individual country requirements during lockdown situations. In particular, goal-driven (even if it is at home) fitness training, psychological, financial, and lifestyle support can be provided to reduce the difficulties associated with lockdowns. Policies and guidelines that facilitate athletes (of all levels) to train regularly during the lockdown should be developed.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the relationships between vertical jump metrics and phases during a 60 m sprint. The variances in strength qualities between sprinters of different ability levels were also compared. Methods Eighteen young male elite sprinters (age: 18.1 ± 1.3 years; stature: 1.72 ± 0.07 m; body mass: 66.3 ± 6.2 kg) were assessed for squat (SJ), countermovement (CMJ), drop (DJ), and standing long jumps, a maximal load back-squat, and a 60-m sprint from a block-start. The relationships between sprint performances with all variables were analysed using correlation and multiple regression while discriminative parameters between fast (100 m time: ~ 10.50 s) and slow (~ 11.00 s) sprint groups were assessed using independent t-tests. Results Higher associations existed between vertical jumps and longer sprint distances, especially between SJ height and relative peak power with 10 m (r = − 0.47 and − 0.47, respectively), 30 m (− 0.71 and − 0.74), 60 m (− 0.76 and − 0.81), 10-30 m (− 0.80 and − 0.86), and 30-60 m (− 0.78 and − 0.84) sprint distances. Concurrently, variables such as relative maximal-strength, relative SJ parameters (height, peak force, and peak power), relative CMJ peak power, and reactive strength index (DJ from 35 cm height) had significant discriminative ability and correlations (P < 0.05) with sprint distances involving maximal velocity and flying-start. Additionally, a combination of SJ height and relative maximal-strength during back-squat accounted for 75% of the variance in 60 m sprint times. Conclusions Relative measures of multiple strength metrics may provide better insight regarding factors that enhance sprint performance. Adequate maximal-strength, high explosive power, and reactive strength seem necessary to improve sprint performance in young male elite sprinters.

Background: The isolated effect of resistance training (RT) on heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) is crucial when prescribing suitable training programmes for healthy individuals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare BP and HRV responses in physically active men after an acute RT session with loads of 5-, 10- or 15-repetition maximums (5RM, 10RM and 15RM). Method: Eighty-one men (age: 21.6±1.1yr; body mass: 74.1±5.8 kg; height: 175.3 ±7.1cm) who performed moderate to vigorous physical activities for at least 30 min a day on most days of the week participated in this study. After the of 5RM loads for the bent-over row (BR), bench press (BEP), Dead-lift (DL) and squats (SQ), participants were divided into three training load groups (15RM = GrpL, 10RM = GrpM or 5RM = GrpH). During the experimental session, each group (n=27) performed 3 sets for each of the four exercise, with 2-min rest intervals between sets and exercises with their assigned training load. BP and HRV were measured prior to, immediately after, and at 15-min intervals until two hours post-experiment. Results: All three groups attained improved BP (p = .001) reductions and longer HRV (p = .0001) changes after an acute exercise session but the GrpM (10RM) and and GrpL (15RM) performed better than GrpH (5RM). Conclusion: Strength and conditioning professionals may prescribe exercises with 10-15RM loads if the aim is to obtain an acute reduction in BP after an RT session.

Plyometric exercises such as drop jumping and bounding offer athletes a substantiated means of enhancing athletic performance. Between the two exercises, reactive measurement using bounding (reactive bounding coefficient [RBC]) has received scant attention within the domain of training and conditioning. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the viability of utilising a speed-bounding exercise to assess horizontal reactive strength. Eleven young, male elite sprinters (age: 17.8 ± 1.3 yr; body height: 1.72 ± 0.06 m; body mass: 66.05 ± 6.10 kg; best 100 m sprint time: 10.77 ± 0.32 s) were tested for static jumps (SJ), drop jumps (DJ), 10 speed-bounding (RBC10), and 50 m sprint performance. Between-group comparisons based on sprint ability (fast [FSG] vs. slow [SSG] sprint-group) and correlation coefficients were computed subsequently. The FSG (n = 5; 50 m time: 5.82 ± 0.11 s; RBC10: 7.46 ± 0.27) performed significantly better in the RBC10 (p = 0.036) than the SSG (n = 5; 50 m time: 6.09 ± 0.13 s; RBC10: 7.09 ± 0.25). A very high correlation was attained between the RBC10 and the criterion measure, the SJ (r = 0.83). Additionally, RBC10 appeared to be correlated with 30, 50, 10-30 and 30-50 m sprint times (r = -0.52 to -0.60). This positive trend, however, was not observed for the DJ reactive strength index (trivial to moderate correlations). Good reliability was shown for the RBC10 and all sprint distances (“1.5% coefficient variation). Furthermore, all sprinters attained ground contact times of 0.12-0.18 s during the RBC10 which was indicative of fast stretch-shortening cycles during movement, suggesting that the RBC10 could be utilised to assess plyometric ability and enhance sprint performance. Overall, the RBC10 seems able to discriminate between the FSG and the SSG, indicating it has acceptable levels of validity and reliability.

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