Abstract
COVID-19 confinement has supposed a challenge to the whole wide world, especially in athletes that have frustrated their expectations about training programs and competitions. Specifically, competition cyclists during confinement had lot of difficulties to train due to the need to train outside their homes. However, the increase of online training sessions, or virtual training tools could help to overcome training difficulties due to confinement although there are not studies that analyse the effects of using these types of tools in cyclists. This study aims to test how the use of online training tools in competition cyclists during confinement is related to training frequency and duration, and emotions. 329 cyclists filled an online questionnaire about feelings during confinement and the use of online training tools, before and during confinement. Results showed that the use of online training tools was associated with higher frequency and duration of trainings. Moreover, those who used these tools felt more positively about their future and preparation to compete, feeling more energy than those who did not used online tools. In addition, cyclists that started using these online tools (including virtual roller training) during confinement increased the frequency of training. In conclusion the use of online training tools for cycling could be appropriate to maintain training levels and energy and positive feelings about their future.
Highlights
The confinement suffered because of the COVID-19 has had a strong impact on people’s lives as countless studies show reporting high levels of anxiety, depression, distress, or insomnia (Ammar et al, 2020a; Clemente-Suárez et al, 2020; Fu et al, 2020; Maugeri et al, 2020; Rossi et al, 2020; Trabelsi et al, 2021)
Online Training Tools Use Before Confinement First, cyclists using training apps before confinement continued to use them during confinement (r = 0.276, p < 0.001)
Regarding the type of training performed, we found that during confinement the higher use of online tools is directly related to the frequency and duration of indoor roller/bike training (r = 0.294, p = 0.001 and r = 0.322, p = 0.001, respectively)
Summary
The confinement suffered because of the COVID-19 has had a strong impact on people’s lives as countless studies show reporting high levels of anxiety, depression, distress, or insomnia (Ammar et al, 2020a; Clemente-Suárez et al, 2020; Fu et al, 2020; Maugeri et al, 2020; Rossi et al, 2020; Trabelsi et al, 2021). In the case of athletes, this impact may have been greater as different expectations of competition and training have been frustrated This has been even more important for athletes who need to train outdoor in which the greatest mental impairment has been observed (Beas Jiménez et al, 2018; Fu et al, 2020). It is estimated that world tour professional male cyclists ride, between training and competitions, Online Tools Cyclists During COVID-19 within 25,000 and 35,000 km per year, while world tour female cyclists ride between 13,000 and 18,000 km per year (Sanders et al, 2019). For this reason, cyclists could have been affected highly negatively by the confinement. From a practical point of view, cyclists, physical trainers, and teams have had to develop useful alternatives to maintain the level of fitness and motivation
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