Analysis of the Sustainability of Long-Term Detraining Caused by COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on the Maximal Aerobic Speed of Under-16 Soccer Players

Abstract

This retrospective cohort study aimed to analyze the effect of a 9-week detraining caused by COVID-19 lock-down on the maximal aerobic speed (MAS) of youth soccer players. The study included twenty-two under-16 male players competing at the national league level (15.4 ± 0.7 years old) who were analyzed pre and post the detraining period. The MAS was estimated using the Bronco’s test. Moreover, the self-regulated physical exercise performed by the players during the lockdown was monitored using a questionnaire. Considering the training volume per week, the players were grouped into those working more (>180 min/week) and those working less (<180 min/week) during the lockdown. Within-group changes revealed no significant differences (p = 0.122; d = 0.381) in the group that self-trained less than 180 min/week started (pre-lockdown) at 3.97 ± 0.29 m/s and ended (post-lockdown) at 3.85 ± 0.34 m/s, corresponding to a decrease of 3.02%. For those who self-trained more than 180 min/week during the lockdown, they started with 4.33 ± 0.28 m/s and decreased by 1.62% for 4.26 ± 0.28 m/s (p = 0.319; d = 0.250). The team as a whole (pooled data, all players included) decreased 2.27% from 4.15 ± 0.34 to 4.06 ± 0.37 m/s (p = 0.077; d = 0.321). Between group analysis revealed that the group of players that trained more than 180 min/weeks were significantly better than players working below 180 min/week in both pre-lockdown moment (+9.01%; p = 0.007; d = 1.263) and post-lockdown moment (10.6%; p = 0.006; d = 1.323). Home-based training can be a good strategy to mitigate the detraining effects caused by a lockdown.

The Effect of Physical Exercise during COVID-19 Lockdown

“…Considering what was shown by the correlation analysis, participants who devoted a higher number of days to VPE and MPE during lockdown had a better mental health status; they tend to represent themselves as less depressed and more satisfied than people with a lower frequency of physical exercise. Staying on this topic, the findings of the present study are in line with multiple studies that have pointed out how indoor physical exercise has presented a massive protective factor for health during the national lockdown [34,35], even for older subjects [36,37] and other fragile categories [38][39][40][41]. It is also reasonable to consider that some exercise habits, such as outdoor exercise, can be less healthy considering the role of environmental pollutants after the end of the lockdown measures and its effect observed on indoor and outdoor workers [42,43].…”

Effect of high-intensity sports specific training and high-intensity interval training on sprained ankle male adolescent soccer athletes before return-to-play

“…After 30 days discontinued training, optimum exercise potential of triathletes decreased by 4.7% [14]. Maximum aerobic speed decreased by 3.02% in a youth soccer player restricted from training for 9 weeks due to the COVID-19 lockdown [15].…”