Abstract
The negative impact of COVID-19 on physical activity has been improved, while the research on changes in physical fitness that may be caused by physical inactivity is still scarce. This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on physical fitness, and the impact of initial physical fitness indicators on their changes during the lockdown in adolescents. A longitudinal study including 265 adolescents aged 14.1 ± 0.4 years old was conducted in China. Physical fitness measurement at baseline and follow-up were respectively measured before (November 2019) and after the lockdown (July 2020). Several physical fitness indicators including aerobic fitness (i.e., 800-m or 1000-m run) and explosive force (i.e., 50-m sprint) deteriorated during the lockdown. Whereas the performances of vital capacity, flexibility (i.e., sit and reach), and muscular strength (i.e., pull-ups) were significantly improved during the lockdown. Furthermore, the reduction in physical fitness for adolescents with higher physical fitness before the lockdown was greater than that for others. These findings may contribute to the development of targeted intervention strategies for physical fitness promotion during the lockdown caused by the public health emergency.
Highlights
Only body height and weight increased significantly after the lockdown, but there was no significant difference in body mass index (BMI)
Physical activity levels were observed to decrease in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown [10], contrary to expected, not all physical fitness indicators were negatively affected by the lockdown
We considered that physical inactivity caused by the COVID-19 lockdown may delay the growth of muscular strength to some extent
Summary
To control and stop the spread of COVID-19, many governments established drastic measures including quarantine, lockdown, and community containment. Despite the rigorous government enforcement significantly decreasing the spread of the disease [2], there is a rise in inactivity, increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases [3]. The restrictions during COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on people’s lifestyle behaviors such as diet, sleep, substance use, sedentariness, and physical activity [4,5,6,7]. The closure of public places and prohibition of social gatherings has reduced the possibility of participating in physical activity outdoors. During the transition between childhood and adulthood, adolescence is an important stage for the development of physical activity, since it can potentially reduce the risks of chronic diseases later in life [8]
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