Abstract
Background It is well known that periods of inactivity generate a loss of muscle strength, a fundamental component of sports performance in soccer. However, little information is available on the decrease in strength levels in professional soccer players after the quarantine lockdown that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim To compare the isokinetic peak torque profiles of professional soccer players from different teams before and after the quarantine period generated by COVID-19. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed using data collected from two different professional elite-level soccer teams just before and immediately after the COVID-19 quarantine period. One team gave individual instructions to its players for conditioning maintenance at home during the quarantine period, while the other team used regular video calls to maintain the player's conditioning status on home training. The main outcomes were the mean peak torque of knee extensors and flexors, from concentric and eccentric contractions of each playing position. Analysis. A two-way ANOVA analysis was used to compare peak torque before and after the quarantine period and between both teams' strategies, showing a statistically significant reduction in eccentric knee flexor peak torque from the team that did not have remote monitoring. Conclusions Remote monitoring programs are recommended so that athletes are less affected by the deleterious effects of confinement.
Highlights
It is well known that periods of inactivity generate a loss of muscle strength, a fundamental component of sports performance in soccer
Remote monitoring programs are recommended so that athletes are less affected by the deleterious effects of confinement
Its design was carried out according to the Declaration of Helsinki, and a protocol was fully approved by our University Human Research Ethics Committee with number #4395129. is study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and e Improving Healthcare Decisions Task Force (ISPOR Retrospective Databases) guidelines [18]
Summary
It is well known that periods of inactivity generate a loss of muscle strength, a fundamental component of sports performance in soccer. Little information is available on the decrease in strength levels in professional soccer players after the quarantine lockdown that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim. To compare the isokinetic peak torque profiles of professional soccer players from different teams before and after the quarantine period generated by COVID-19. A retrospective observational study was performed using data collected from two different professional elite-level soccer teams just before and immediately after the COVID-19 quarantine period. E main outcomes were the mean peak torque of knee extensors and flexors, from concentric and eccentric contractions of each playing position. A two-way ANOVA analysis was used to compare peak torque before and after the quarantine period and between both teams’ strategies, showing a statistically significant reduction in eccentric knee flexor peak torque from the team that did not have remote monitoring. Remote monitoring programs are recommended so that athletes are less affected by the deleterious effects of confinement
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