Resilience as a protective factor for well-being and emotional stability in elite-level football players during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Madsen, Esben Elholm; Krustrup, Peter; Larsen, Carsten Hvid; Elbe, Anne‐Marie; Wikman, Johan Michael; Ivarsson, Andréas; Lautenbach, Franziska

doi:10.1080/24733938.2021.1959047

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…In fact, training restrictions and competition avoidance, due to COVID-19 lockdown, decreased competitions performance, substantiating the contribution of cognitive distress to the overall perception of effort and to performance outcome [ 20 ]. However, previous studies have reported that COVID-19 preventive measures did not provoke changes in the levels of anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression in professional footballers [ 65 , 66 ]. Our study confirmed that the professional players cope very well with the changes due to COVID-19, with no noticeable changes in cortisol, indicating good psychological adaptation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study

Marsigliante

Bianco

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate whether COVID-19 lockdown caused biological, psychological, and/or physical performance variations in footballers. We compared the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons evaluating the plasma volume, hematological parameters, iron/ferritin, creatine kinase, vitamin D, cortisol, testosterone, and physiological state of players of the Italian football major league (Serie A). Measurements were performed before the preparatory period (T0), at the beginning (T1) and in the middle (T2) of the championship, and in March (T3) and at the end of season (T4). The results showed that in the 2019/2020 season affected by the lockdown, the weight, BMI, and fat mass percentage were higher than in the previous season. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cells, and ferritin decreased during both seasons, more significantly than in the regular season. During both seasons, creatine kinase increased from T2 whilst iron concentrations decreased in T3. Testosterone increased in both seasons from T0 to T3 and returned to initial levels at T4; cortisol increased in T2 and T3 during the 2018/2019 season but not during the COVID-19 season. Physical performance tests revealed differences associated with lockdown. Thus, although from a medical point of view, none of the evaluated changes between the two seasons were clinically relevant, training at home during lockdown did not allow the players to maintain the jumping power levels typical of a competitive period.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study

Marsigliante

Bianco

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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“…The most widely investigated psychological variable was anxiety, representing 20.45% of the studies. Anxiety levels were the most common measure in the studies ( Esteves et al, 2020 , 2021 ; Evli et al, 2020 ; Håkansson et al, 2020 ; Ivarsson et al, 2021 ; Lima et al, 2021 ; Madsen et al, 2021 ; Mehrsafar et al, 2021 ; Wagemans et al, 2021 ). The results of most of the studies demonstrated increased anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes: a systematic review

Andrade,

D'Oliveira,

Neiva

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionInvestigation of the psychological impact on soccer athletes during the pandemic is essential given their unique challenges, including training disruptions and competition postponements. Understanding these effects will allow the development of specific strategies to preserve the mental health and performance of elite athletes, contributing to effective interventions with both short and long-term benefits.ObjectiveTo analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes.MethodThe review adhered to PRISMA criteria, and the study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022341545). Searches were conducted until July 2023 in databases including Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Only original, peer-reviewed studies in English, Portuguese, or Spanish assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes were included.ResultsThe search identified 1,055 records and 43 studies were included in this review between 2020 and 2023. In total, the sample included 16,321 soccer athletes of different age groups. Anxiety, depression, mood states, and mental well-being were the most investigated variables. Increased levels of anxiety, depression, and worsening mental well-being were observed in elite soccer athletes. Maintaining fitness during the pandemic showed positive results. Other variables, such as coping, resilience, and sleep quality monitoring, were less widely investigated. Evaluating methodological quality was considered regular for observational and experimental studies.ConclusionThe study reveals a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elite soccer athletes, considering psychological aspects and their mental health, notably heightened anxiety and depression. Observational methods predominated, showing mood swings linked to individual characteristics and fitness maintenance efforts. Studies with better-designed methodological approaches and controlled experimental interventions are recommended in the future to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on soccer players.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?, identifier (CRD42022341545).

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“…21 Various form of stress-exposure and pressure training interventions are today receiving growing attention in the current literature. 36–38 Empirical knowledge of evidence-based approaches for optimal implementations of these interventions, and particularly when tailored to academy football players, is however to a great extent still lacking in the literature. 18 Regular contact between academy players and the first team could, however, be an opportunity for introducing stress-exposure or pressure training in ecologically valid settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A worldwide survey of perspectives on demands, resources, and barriers influencing the youth-to-senior transition in academy football players

Lundqvist

Gregson

Bonanno

et al. 2022

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching

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The youth-to-first team phase presents a number of challenges in the careers of modern football players with stagnation, inconsistent performance and dropout being reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of staff involved in professional academy football clubs around the globe, with a particular focus on youth and first team transition demands, resources as well as transitions barriers and coping among male academy football players. Participants from 29 male youth academies distributed across 29 countries took part in the survey. Our main findings suggested training and match intensity reported as being greater at the senior-level and also pressure from parents. The majority of respondents indicated their clubs having long-term strategy for player development and specific roles supporting successful player transitions. Exposure to different playing styles was deemed important to prepare players for the first team. Likewise, having the academy and the first team training on the same site was perceived to ease the transition, with the majority of respondents indicating that players are able to cope with the pressure of first team training and games. Perceptions on whether staff do not have the skills/resources to prepare players for the changes in environment and culture when players move from youth-to-senior level were unclear. Collectively, our study extends previous transition research on youth football academies suggesting the importance of a club-based playing philosophy to prepare players for the first team demands and challenges.

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Resilience as a protective factor for well-being and emotional stability in elite-level football players during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 9 publications

References 71 publications

Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study

Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological aspects and mental health of elite soccer athletes: a systematic review

A worldwide survey of perspectives on demands, resources, and barriers influencing the youth-to-senior transition in academy football players

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