Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant training disruptions during the 2020–2021 season, due to lockdowns, quarantines, and strict adherence to the pandemic protocols. The main purpose of this study was to determine how the pandemic training restrictions affected training volume and performance in one collegiate swim team. Cumulative training volume data across a 28-week season were compared between a pandemic (2020–2021) versus non-pandemic (2019–2020) season. The swimmers were categorized into three groups (sprinters, mid-distance, and long-distance) based on their training group. The performance times of 25 swimmers who competed in the regional championships, during both the non-pandemic and pandemic year, were compared via one-way ANOVA. Twenty-six male and 22 female swimmers commenced the 2020–2021 (pandemic) season, with 23% of the swimmers voluntarily opting out. Three COVID-19 cases were confirmed (2%) by the medical staff, with no long-term effects. Significant reductions in the average swim volume were verified in sprinters (32,867 ± 10,135 vs. 14,800 ± 7995 yards; p < 0.001), mid-distance (26,457 ± 10,692 vs. 17,054 ± 9.923 yards; p < 0.001), and long-distance (37,600 ± 14,430 vs. 22,254 ± 14,418 yards; p < 0.001) swimmers (non-pandemic vs. pandemic season, respectively). In the regional performance analyses, the sprinters swam faster (n = 8; −0.5 ± 0.6 s), while the mid-distance (n = 10; 0.17 ± 2.1 s) and long-distance (n = 7; 6.0 ± 4.9 s) swimmers swam slower (F = 11.76; p = 0.0003; r2 = 0.52). Thus, the pandemic caused significant reductions in swim training volume, with sprinters performing better and long-distance swimmers performing worse at the regional championships.
Highlights
For collegiate athletes, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic altered their training and competition [1,2]
We report training volume in yards as the NCAA championship events are conducted and reported in yards, rather than meters
The pandemic-induced restrictions for the swim team i included frequent (3x/week) COVID-19 testing via nasopharynx swabs, which tested for cluded frequent (3x/week) COVID-19 testing via nasopharynx swabs, which tested for th the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus via polymerase severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus via polymera chain reaction (PCR), for all swimmers and coaches participating in the competitive season
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic altered their training and competition [1,2]. The athlete-specific health risks associated with competitive exercise included the development of myocarditis [6], increased transmission with close-contact sports [7,8], and/or augmented infection risk due to excessive exercise-induced immunosuppression [9]. These hypothesized risks to athletes remain complex and controversial [7,10,11]. The current data on the effect of pandemic-induced restrictions on athlete health, swim training, and performance remains sparse.
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