COVID-19 disease in professional football players: symptoms and impact on pulmonary function and metabolic power during matches.

This study aimed at: (1) Reporting COVID-19 symptoms and duration in professional football players; (2) comparing players' pulmonary function before and after COVID-19; (3) comparing players' metabolic power (Pmet ) before and after COVID-19. Thirteen male players (Age: 23.9 ± 4.0 years, V̇O2peak : 49.7 ± 4.0 mL/kg/min) underwent a medical screening and performed a running incremental step test and a spirometry test after COVID-19. Spirometric data were compared with the ones collected at the beginning of the same season. Players' mean Pmet of the 10 matches played before COVID-19 was compared with mean Pmet of the 10 matches played after COVID-19. Players completed a questionnaire on COVID-19 symptoms and duration 6 months following the disease. COVID-19 positivity lasted on average 15 ± 5 days. "General fatigue" and "muscle fatigue" symptoms were reported by all players during COVID-19 and persisted for 77% (general fatigue) and 54% (muscle fatigue) of the players for 37 ± 28 and 38 ± 29 days after the disease, respectively. No significant changes in spirometric measurements were found after COVID-19, even though some impairments at the individual level were observed. Conversely, a linear mixed-effects model analysis showed a significant reduction of Pmet (-4.1 ± 3.5%) following COVID-19 (t = -2.686, p < 0.05). "General fatigue" and "muscle fatigue" symptoms may persist for several weeks following COVID-19 in professional football players and should be considered for a safer return to sport. Players' capacity to compete at high intensities might be compromised after COVID-19.

Maximal Strength, Sprint, and Jump Performance in High-Level Female Football Players Are Maintained With a Customized Training Program During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 outbreak with partial lockdown has inevitably led to an alteration in training routines for football players worldwide. Thus, coaches had to face with the novel challenge of minimizing the potential decline in fitness during this period of training disruption. METHODS: In this observational pre- to posttest study involving Norwegian female football players (18.8 ± 1.9 years, height 1.68 ± 0.4 m, mass 61.3 ± 3.7 kg), we investigated the effects of a prescribed home-based and group-based intervention, implemented during the COVID-19 lockdown, on maximal muscular force production and high velocity variables. Specifically, maximal partial squat strength one repetition maximum (1RM), counter movement jump (CMJ) and 15 m sprint time were assessed 1 week prior to the lockdown and 12 weeks after the onset of lockdown. We also collected training content and volume from the prescribed training program and self-reported perceived training quality and motivation toward training. RESULTS: We observed no change in 1RM [pretest: 104 ± 12 kg, posttest: 101 ± 11 kg (P = 0.28)], CMJ height [pretest: 28.1 ± 2.3 cm, posttest: 26.8 ± 1.9 (P = 0.09)], and 15 m sprint time [pretest: 2.60 ± 0.08 s, posttest: 2.61 ± 0.07 s (P = 0.52)]. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a prescribed home-based and group-based intervention with increased training time devoted to strength, jump, and sprint ability, and regulated to obtain a sufficient infection control level is feasible and effective to preserve strength, jumping, and sprinting abilities of high-level female football players during a ∼ 3-month period of a pandemic-induced lockdown.