The Impact of Covid-19 and the Effect of Psychological Factors on Training Conditions of Handball Players

Daniel Mon-López,Ignacio Refoyo Roman,Mónica Hontoria Galán,Alfonso De La Rubia Riaza

doi:10.3390/ijerph17186471

Daniel Mon-López, Ignacio Refoyo Roman + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186471

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Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 has altered sport in Spain, forcing athletes to train at home. The objectives of the study were: (i) to compare training and recovery conditions before and during the isolation period in handball players according to gender and competitive level, and (ii) to analyse the impact of psychological factors during the isolation period. A total of 187 participants (66 women and 121 men) answered a Google Forms questionnaire about demographics, training, moods, emotional intelligence, and resilience sent using the snowball sampling technique. T-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare sport level and gender differences. Linear regressions were used to analyse the psychological influence on training. Handball players reduced training intensity (in the whole sample; p = 0.44), training volume (especially in professional female handball players; p < 0.001), and sleep quality (especially in professional male handball players; p = 0.21) and increased sleep hours (especially in non-professional female players; p = 0.006) during the isolation period. Furthermore, psychological factors affected all evaluated training and recovery conditions during the quarantine, except for sleep quantity. Mood, emotional intelligence, and resilience have an influence on physical activity levels and recovery conditions. In addition, training components were modified under isolation conditions at p < 0.001. We conclude that the COVID-19 isolation period caused reductions in training volume and intensity and decreased sleep quality. Furthermore, psychological components have a significant impact on training and recovery conditions.

Highlights

A virus called Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) has quickly spread to many countries around the world, causing an unexpected pandemic [1]
This study is one of the first to analyse the impact of the isolation period caused by COVID-19 on the training and recovery conditions of professional and non-professional handball players according to the influence of transitory psychological factors and personality trait
Based on the results yielded: (i) training and recovery conditions of the handball players were modified during the isolation period, reducing the intensity-RPE, volume-Tdays and Thours and sleep quality-Squality and increasing sleep hours-Shours; and (ii) the psychological factors analysed had an impact on training and recovery conditions, except for sleep quantity, during the Covid-19 lockdown

Summary

Introduction

A virus called Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) has quickly spread to many countries around the world, causing an unexpected pandemic [1]. In Spain, the lockdown started on 14 March, 2020 [2]. In handball, the last matches in Spain were played on 7–8 March, 2020, and all handball players had to remain in their respective houses at least until 4 May, 2020 (almost eight weeks). During detraining periods (off-season), monitoring the external load of players (volume and intensity) is necessary to ensure the maintenance of fitness [4]. Technological devices such as heart rate monitors or global positioning systems (GPS) can be used to quantify the training load jointly with individual questionnaires associated with the rating-of-perceived-exertion (RPE)

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