Effects of a 48-Day Home Quarantine during the Covid-19 Pandemic on the First Outdoor Running Session among Recreational Runners in Spain.

Manuel Mosqueira-Ourens,Andrés López-Del-Amo,José L Tuimil,Adrián Varela-Sanz,José M Sánchez-Sáez,Laura Ramos-Petersen,Aitor Pérez-Morcillo

doi:10.3390/ijerph18052730

Abstract

COVID-19-induced quarantine may lead to deleterious effects on health status as well as to impaired performance and increased injury risk when re-starting training after lockdown. We investigated the physical activity (PA) habits of recreational runners in Spain during a 48-day home quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristics of the first outdoor running session after confinement. A cross-sectional study, including a self-reported running questionnaire completed after the first outdoor running session after quarantine, was performed. Three hundred recreational runners (74% males; 60% 18–40 years old; most typical running experience >3 years, 10–30 km weekly running distance distributed in 3–4 sessions) were considered for analysis. Advanced runners ran, at least, 4 days/week and participated in running events. They performed significantly longer and more non-supervised weekly training sessions during confinement (p < 0.01 for both) than novice and amateur runners. Most runners performed their first outdoor running session on asphalt (65.3%) and ran 5 to 10 km (61%) at a pace above 5 min/km (60%), reporting no pain before (77%), during (64%), and 24 h after (76%) the session. Advanced runners performed a significantly longer running session, at a higher pace, and covered a greater distance (p < 0.01 for all) than novice and amateur runners, while enjoyment and motivation tended to be significantly higher when runners’ level increased (p < 0.05). Higher training levels prior to and during confinement may lower the collateral effects (e.g., detraining, injury risk) of home quarantine when runners return to previous PA levels.

Highlights

At the end of 2019, SARS-CoV-2infection, a novel virus emerged in the city of Wuhan, China, and expanded worldwide, causing Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an etiologically unknown pneumonia [1,2].In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19’s global pandemic status
Our investigation was a cross-sectional study including the COVID-19 Running Questionnaire, a self-reported questionnaire delivered via Google Forms to study the physical activity (PA) habits of habitual and non-habitual recreational runners living in Spain during a 48-day home quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristics of the first outdoor running session after confinement
Covered running distance, running training session time, and running pace were higher when runners’ level increased. This fact could be related to the pre-pandemic training characteristics of our sample, suggesting that a higher training level prior to and during confinement may lower the collateral effects of home quarantine when returning to previous daily PA levels

Summary

Introduction

At the end of 2019, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19’s global pandemic status. This pandemic is producing a devastating impact on public health and on society’s lifestyle and the economy of the entire world [1,3]. In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, and reduce death rates, countries adopted different prevention measures as a function of the severity of their own situation, including social distancing, wearing of surgical masks, limitation of social interactions, school closures, cancellation of major international sports events and championships.

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