Running Toward Disasters: One Bioethicist's Experience in Translational Ethics.

Translational ethics is a practice that aims to apply bioethics insights and process to the real-world contexts of clinical medicine, but also government policy, systems issues, and public health. This work has been a career focus for a relatively small number of bioethicists over the years, but it has drawn greater attention due to the pandemic and a greater realization of the impact of health inequities and systemic injustice. This essay discusses the pathway, rewards, and challenges of translational bioethics as experienced by one bioethicist working with state and national groups on a range of translational ethics issues, often related to public health disasters. There is much remaining work to be done, and the goal of the essay is to encourage rising bioethicists to engage in translational bioethics.

The general interest in running and walking has increased during the COVID-19.

N/A.

Understanding Social Exercise: Desire and Intention to Participate in Running Crews.

The current study investigated the determinants of the desire and intention to participate in an inner-city 'running crew' among social runners using a theoretical framework of the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB). Data were obtained from 245 social runners in Korea using an online questionnaire and primarily analyzed with the structural equation modeling technique. The results indicated that the desire to participate in a running crew was influenced most by positive anticipated emotions, followed (in descending order) by attitudes, negative anticipated emotions, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and the frequency of past behaviors. Runners' behavioral intentions were predicted by desire but not directly related to perceived behavioral control and the frequency of past behavior. Overall, the study emphasized the importance of positive anticipated emotions and behavioral desire, among others, to encourage recreational runners' participation in social running activities. Given that social runners rely on mobile apps to participate in running crew activities, the current study's results have practical implications for running crew organizers, sports-branded app developers, and health promotion agencies.

Trend Impact Analysis (TIA) of community-based futures study for pediatric obesity in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has been regarded as one of the main healthcare challenges in the last century, leading to critical health problems and reduced life expectancy. Many factors can play a role in its development or prevention. Using the Trend Impact Analysis (TIA), this study aimed to conduct a community-based futures study for pediatric obesity in Iran. METHODS: We obtained the prevalence of overweight and obesity from the database of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Moreover, we reviewed 21 documents, texts, and comments from three key stakeholders in Iran and prepared a list of key experts, who were stakeholders in the field of obesity prevention of childhood in different organizations. Then, we collected the expert opinions by Delphi method. Data analysis was performed using the Excel and R software. RESULTS: Fourteen experts participated in the first stage and nine experts in the second stage. We identified two positive drivers, including the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the widespread expansion of online educational programs. Meanwhile, we identified five negative drivers as follows: (1) controlling and limiting obesogenic environments in the community, school, and family; (2) running annual compulsory anthropometry programs for students of all educational levels in health centers; (3) integrating nutrition education interventions in the curricula of all educational levels; (4) taxation of unhealthy and fast foods; and (5) preparing safe and appropriate sports environments for children and adolescents (on the streets, schools, parks, and sports clubs). Without considering the drivers, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is predicted to reach 29.10% in 2031. However, it is expected that the negative drivers can increase the prevalence trend from 23.40% in 2018 to 19.57% in 2031, the positive drivers to 32.61%, and the combination of all drivers to 23.07%. CONCLUSION: It seems that measures such as the effective communication of policy makers, basic evaluation of the programs and policies related to the prevention of childhood obesity, and localization of the programs of international organizations for the prevention of obesity can greatly control the prevalence of childhood obesity.

Validation of the RunScribe inertial measurement unit for walking gait measurement.

INTRODUCTION: The use of portable gait measurement systems in research is appealing to collect real-world data at low-cost, low participant burden, and without requirement for dedicated lab space. Most commercially available inertial measurement units (IMU's) designed for running only capture temporospatial data, the ability to capture biomechanics data such as shock and motion metrics with the RunScribe IMU makes it the closest to a lab alternative. The RunScribe system has been validated in running, however, is yet to be validated for walking. METHOD: Qualisys motion capture, AMTI force plates, and Delsys Trigno accelerometers were used as gold standard lab measures for comparison against the RunScribe IMU. Twenty participants completed 10 footsteps per foot (20 total) measured by both systems simultaneously. Variables for validation included: Vertical Ground reaction force (GRF), instantaneous GRF rate, pronation excursion, pronation velocity, total shock, impact force, braking force. Interclass correlation (ICC) was used to determine agreement between the measurement systems, mean differences were used to evaluate group level accuracy. RESULTS: ICC results showed moderate agreement between measurement systems when both limbs were averaged. The greatest agreement was seen for GRF rate, pronation excursion, and pronation velocity (ICC = 0.627, 0.616, 0.539), low agreement was seen for GRF, total shock, impact shock, braking shock (ICC = 0.269, 0.351, 0.244, 0.180). However mean differences show the greatest level of accuracy for GRF, GRF rate, and impact shock. DISCUSSION: Results show mixed agreement between the RunScribe and gold standard lab measures, and varied agreement across left and right limbs. Kinematic variables showed the greatest agreement, however GRF had the lowest relative mean difference for group results. The results show acceptable levels of agreement for most variables, however further work must be done to assess the repeatability and sensitivity of the RunScribe to be applied within areas such as footwear testing and gait retraining protocols.

Impact of COVID-19 on 1000 m Running and Pull-Up Performance among College Men Living in China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on fitness performance among Chinese college men during the pandemic period and to explore how fitness changed with a different college grade. METHODS: We conducted repeated measures of 1000 m running and pull-up testing on students from one university in China before and after the lockdown. A total of 7107 (age 19.21 ± 1.17 yr.) male students who completed the same 1000 m running and pull-up testing in 2019 and 2020 were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The paired t-test result indicates a reduction in 1000 m running and pull-up performance by 10.91% (95% CI = 0.89, 0.95) and 23.89% (95% CI = -0.36, -0.31), respectively. Interestingly, college men in the 2017 grade (the third-year college men) had more decreases than in the 2019 grade (the first-year college men). The 1000 m running performance was decreased by 14.43% and 6.48% in the third- and the first-year college men, respectively. The pull-up performance was decreased by 39.11 % in the third-year college men while increased by 10.98% in the first-year college men. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 lockdown reduced 1000 m running and pull-up performances among Chinese college men. The reduction varies by grade and it seems to be particularly seriously decreased for the third-year college men while being modest for the first-year college men. Public policy was urgently needed to improve Chinese college men's fitness performance after the lockdown.

Aerobic capacity of professional soccer players before and after COVID-19 infection.

This investigation aimed to assess the aerobic capacity of professional soccer players pre-and post-COVID-19 infection. Twenty-one division-1 elite soccer players (age 24.24 ± 5.75 years, height 178.21 ± 5.44 cm, weight 74.12 ± 5.21 kg) participated in this study. This observational study compared the same players' aerobic capacity pre-, and 60-days post COVID-19 recovery. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the infected players had significantly lower VO2max values [t(20) = 5.17, p < 0.01, d = 0.613 (medium effect)], and significantly lower VO2 values at respiratory compensation point (RC) [t(20) = 2.97, p < 0.05, d = 0.39 (small effect)] after recovery. Furthermore, results indicated a significantly lower running time (RT) on the treadmill [t(20) = 4.84, p < 0.01, d = 0.46 (small effect)] when compared to the results that were obtained before they got infected. In addition, velocity at VO2max (VVO2max) was significantly lower [t(20) = 2.34, p < 0.05, d = 0.41 (small effect)] and the heart rate values at ventilatory threshold (VT) [t(20) = -2.79, p < 0.01, d = 0.55 (medium effect)] and RC [t(20) = -3.72, p < 0.01, d = 0.52 (medium effect)] were significantly higher post-recovery. The aforementioned findings indicate that post COVID-19 soccer players may not reach full recovery at two months. Therefore, our results highlight that further adaptations and improvements are needed with regard to aerobic capacity before soccer players return to professional games.

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.

The Influence of Maximum Squatting Strength on Jump and Sprint Performance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 492 Youth Soccer Players.

This study aims to analyze the influence of relative strength performance, determined by parallel back squats (REL SQ), on 30 m sprinting (LS) and on jumping performance (squat [SJ], countermovement [CMJ]) in a large sample (n = 492) of elite youth soccer players. The soccer players were divided into subgroups based on their strength performance: strength level 1 (0.0-0.5 REL SQ), strength level 2 (>0.5-1.0 REL SQ), strength level 3 (>1.0 to 1.5 REL SQ), strength level 4 (>1.5 to 2.0 REL SQ), and strength level 5 (>2.0 REL SQ). The results of this study show that REL SQ explains 45-53% (r = |0.67-0.73|) of the variance of SJ, CMJ, and LS for the total sample. Strength levels 2-4 showed similar coefficients of correlation in jumping performance (r = |0.42-0.55|) and strength levels 2 and 3 in sprint performance (r = |0.41|). The respective extreme strength levels showed lower coefficients of correlation with the sprinting and jumping performance variables (r = |0.11-0.29|). No coefficients could be calculated for strength level 5 because no athlete achieved an appropriate strength level (>2.0 REL SQ). The data from this study show a clear influence of REL SQ on sprint and jump performance, even in a large sample.

A Teenager Physical Fitness Evaluation Model Based on 1D-CNN with LSTM and Wearable Running PPG Recordings.

People attach greater importance to the physical health of teenagers because adolescence is a critical period for the healthy development of the human body. With the progress of biosensing technologies and artificial intelligence, it is feasible to apply wearable devices to continuously record teenagers' physiological signals and make analyses based on modern advanced methods. To solve the challenge that traditional methods of monitoring teenagers' physical fitness lack accurate computational models and in-depth data analyses, we propose a novel evaluation model for predicting the physical fitness of teenagers. First, we collected 1024 teenagers' PPGs under the guidance of the proposed three-stage running paradigm. Next, we applied the median filter and wavelet transform to denoise the original signals and obtain HR and SpO2. Then, we used the Pearson correlation coefficient method to finalize the feature set, based on the extracted nine physical features. Finally, we built a 1D-CNN with LSTM model to classify teenagers' physical fitness condition into four levels: excellent, good, medium, and poor, with an accuracy of 98.27% for boys' physical fitness prediction, and 99.26% for girls' physical fitness prediction. The experimental results provide evidence supporting the feasibility of predicting teenagers' physical fitness levels by their running PPG recordings.

Laminar flow ventilation system to prevent airborne infection during exercise in the COVID-19 crisis: A single-center observational study.

Particulate generation occurs during exercise-induced exhalation, and research on this topic is scarce. Moreover, infection-control measures are inadequately implemented to avoid particulate generation. A laminar airflow ventilation system (LFVS) was developed to remove respiratory droplets released during treadmill exercise. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the number of aerosols during training on a treadmill and exercise intensity and to elucidate the effect of the LFVS on aerosol removal during anaerobic exercise. In this single-center observational study, the exercise tests were performed on a treadmill at Running Science Lab in Japan on 20 healthy subjects (age: 29±12 years, men: 80%). The subjects had a broad spectrum of aerobic capacities and fitness levels, including athletes, and had no comorbidities. All of them received no medication. The exercise intensity was increased by 1-km/h increments until the heart rate reached 85% of the expected maximum rate and then maintained for 10 min. The first 10 subjects were analyzed to examine whether exercise increased the concentration of airborne particulates in the exhaled air. For the remaining 10 subjects, the LFVS was activated during constant-load exercise to compare the number of respiratory droplets before and after LFVS use. During exercise, a steady amount of particulates before the lactate threshold (LT) was followed by a significant and gradual increase in respiratory droplets after the LT, particularly during anaerobic exercise. Furthermore, respiratory droplets ≥0.3 µm significantly decreased after using LFVS (2120800±759700 vs. 560 ± 170, p<0.001). The amount of respiratory droplets significantly increased after LT. The LFVS enabled a significant decrease in respiratory droplets during anaerobic exercise in healthy subjects. This study's findings will aid in exercising safely during this pandemic.

COVID-19 Confinement Effects on Game Actions during Competition Restart in Professional Soccer Players.

The main objective of the present study was to compare high-intensity actions in a week of three matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The observational methodology was used. This study analysed 551 professional soccer players from 22 different Spanish teams (LaLiga Smartbank 2019-2020) by a multi-camera tracking system and associated software (Mediacoach®, Spain). Variables of distances per minute and totals, travelled at High Intensity (HIR), Very High Intensity (VHIR), Sprint (HSR), player's maximum speed, average speed, and the number of efforts in VHIR and HSR were analysed in the first and second half of the games, the full match, as well as in relation to the playing position. Players who participated in the same number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed an increase in the total minutes played, p < 0.05, and small decreases in game actions, p < 0.05, with an effect size between 0.21 and 0.45, while players who participated in different number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed a performance decrease, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.13 and 0.51; this was evident, particularly, for midfielders, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.39 and 0.75. The results seem to show that the playing intensity after COVID-19 confinement did not lead to large performance losses, except for midfielders who were the most involved players and showed a higher decrease in performance. The main findings of this study could provide insight to football coaches for rotations in starting line-ups and game substitutions, so as not to affect the intensity levels of the competitions.

Potential Long-Term Health Problems Associated with Ultra-Endurance Running: A Narrative Review.

It is well established that physical activity reduces all-cause mortality and can prolong life. Ultra-endurance running (UER) is an extreme sport that is becoming increasingly popular, and comprises running races above marathon distance, exceeding 6 h, and/or running fixed distances on multiple days. Serious acute adverse events are rare, but there is mounting evidence that UER may lead to long-term health problems. The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge regarding the potential long-term health problems derived from UER, specifically potential maladaptation in key organ systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, renal, immunological, gastrointestinal, neurological, and integumentary systems. Special consideration is given to youth, masters, and female athletes, all of whom may be more susceptible to certain long-term health issues. We present directions for future research into the pathophysiological mechanisms that underpin athlete susceptibility to long-term issues. Although all body systems can be affected by UER, one of the clearest effects of endurance exercise is on the cardiovascular system, including right ventricular dysfunction and potential increased risk of arrhythmias and hypertension. There is also evidence that rare cases of acute renal injury in UER could lead to progressive renal scarring and chronic kidney disease. There are limited data specific to female athletes, who may be at greater risk of certain UER-related health issues due to interactions between energy availability and sex-hormone concentrations. Indeed, failure to consider sex differences in the design of female-specific UER training programs may have a negative impact on athlete longevity. It is hoped that this review will inform risk stratification and stimulate further research about UER and the implications for long-term health.

Center backs work hardest when playing in a back three: The influence of tactical formation on physical and technical match performance in professional soccer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether tactical formation affects the physical and technical match performance of professional soccer players in the first German Bundesliga. From official match data of the Bundesliga season 2018/19, physical (total distance, high-intensity distance, sprinting distance, accelerations, maximum velocity) and technical performance (short/middle/long passes, dribblings, ball-possessions) of players were analyzed. Players were categorized into five playing positions (center back, full back, central midfielder, wide midfielder, forward) and teams into eight different tactical formations (4-4-2, 4-4-2 diamond, 4-2-2-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2). Results revealed that the degree to which tactical formation affects match performance is position dependent. In terms of physical performance, center backs and full backs showed highest sprinting distances when playing in a formation with only three defenders in the back row (3-4-3, 3-5-2) compared to all other formations (ES range: 0.13≤ES≤1.27). Regarding technical performance, all positions except forwards displayed fewer short passes, middle passes and ball-possessions in the formations 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 compared to all other formations (0.02≤ES≤1.19). In conclusion, physical and technical performance of center backs, full backs and wide midfielders differed markedly between the tactical formations. Conversely, the physical and technical performance of central midfielders and forwards only showed small differences between the different tactical formations. These findings can help coaches scheduling their practice. For example, if a coach wants to change the playing formation, he can anticipate the physical and technical match performance changes depending on the respective playing position.

The Impact of Grounding in Running Shoes on Indices of Performance in Elite Competitive Athletes.

The introduction of carbon fiber plate shoes has triggered a plethora of world records in running, which has encouraged shoe industries to produce novel shoe designs to enhance running performance, including shoes containing conductor elements or "grounding shoes" (GS), which could potentially reduce the energy cost of running. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and perceptual responses of athletes subjected to grounding shoes during running. Ten elite runners were recruited. Firstly, the athletes performed an incremental running test for VO2max and anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, and were familiarized with the two shoe conditions (traditional training shoe (TTS) and GS, the latter containing a conductor element under the insole). One week apart, athletes performed running economy tests (20 min run at 80% of the AT) on a 400 m dirt track, with shoe conditions randomized. VO2, heart rate, lactate, and perceived fatigue were registered throughout the experiment. No differences in any of the physiological or perceptual variables were identified between shoe conditions, with an equal running economy in both TTS and GS (51.1 ± 4.2 vs. 50.9 ± 5.1 mL kg-1 min-1, respectively). Our results suggest that a grounding stimulus does not improve the energy cost of running, or the physiological/perceptual responses of elite athletes.

Effects of wearing a cloth face mask on performance, physiological and perceptual responses during a graded treadmill running exercise test.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) determine if wearing a cloth face mask significantly affected exercise performance and associated physiological responses, and (2) describe perceptual measures of effort and participants' experiences while wearing a face mask during a maximal treadmill test. METHODS: Randomised controlled trial of healthy adults aged 18-29 years. Participants completed two (with and without a cloth face mask) maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) on a treadmill following the Bruce protocol. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, exertion and shortness of breath were measured. Descriptive data and physical activity history were collected pretrial; perceptions of wearing face masks and experiential data were gathered immediately following the masked trial. RESULTS: The final sample included 31 adults (age=23.2±3.1 years; 14 women/17 men). Data indicated that wearing a cloth face mask led to a significant reduction in exercise time (-01:39±01:19 min/sec, p<0.001), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) (-818±552 mL/min, p<0.001), minute ventilation (-45.2±20.3 L/min), maximal heart rate (-8.4±17.0 beats per minute, p<0.01) and increased dyspnoea (1.7±2.9, p<0.001). Our data also suggest that differences in SpO2 and rating of perceived exertion existed between the different stages of the CPET as participant's exercise intensity increased. No significant differences were found between conditions after the 7-minute recovery period. CONCLUSION: Cloth face masks led to a 14% reduction in exercise time and 29% decrease in VO2max, attributed to perceived discomfort associated with mask-wearing. Compared with no mask, participants reported feeling increasingly short of breath and claustrophobic at higher exercise intensities while wearing a cloth face mask. Coaches, trainers and athletes should consider modifying the frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise when wearing a cloth face mask.

Validation of an inertial-based contact and swing time algorithm for running analysis from a foot mounted IoT enabled wearable.

Running gait assessment for shoe type recommendation to avoid injury often takes place within commercial premises. That is not representative of a natural running environment and may influence normal/usual running characteristics. Typically, assessments are costly and performed by an untrained biomechanist or physiotherapist. Thus, use of a low-cost assessment of running gait to recommend shoe type is warranted. Indeed, the recent impact of COVID has heightened the need for a shift toward remote assessment in general due to social-distancing guidelines and restriction of movement to bespoke assessment facilities. Mymo is a Bluetooth-enabled, inertial measurement unit (IMU) wearable worn on the foot. The wearable transmits inertial data via a smartphone application to the Cloud, where algorithms work to recommend a running shoe based upon the users/runner's pronation and foot-strike location/pattern. Here, an additional algorithm is presented to quantify ground contact time and swing/flight time within the Mymo platform to further inform the assessment of a runner's gait. A large cohort of healthy adult and adolescents (n=203, 91M:112F) were recruited to run on a treadmill while wearing the Mymo wearable. Validity of the inertial-based algorithm to quantify ground contact time was established through manual labelling of reference standard ground truth video data, with a presented accuracy between 96.6-98.7% across the two classes with respect to each foot.Clinical Relevance-This establishes the validity of a ground contact and swing times for runner with a low-cost IoT wearable.

Running away from the jab: factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how sociodemographic conditions, political factors, organizational confidence, and non-pharmaceutical interventions compliance affect the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Brazil. METHODS: Data collection took place between November 25th, 2020 and January 11th, 2021 using a nationwide online survey. Subsequently, the researches performed a descriptive analysis on the main variables and used logistic regression models to investigate the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: Less concern over vaccine side effects could improve the willingness to be vaccinated (probability changed by 7.7 pp; p < 0.10). The current vaccine distrust espoused by the Brazilian president is associated with vaccine hesitancy, among his voter base. Lower performance perception ("Very Bad" with 10.7 pp; p < 0.01) or higher political opposition (left-oriented) regarding the current presidency is associated with the willingness to be vaccinated. Higher compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is usually positively associated with the willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine (+1 score to NPI compliance index is associated with higher willingness to be vaccinated by 1.4 pp, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Willingness to be vaccinated is strongly associated with political leaning, perceived federal government performance, vaccine side effects, and compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

The Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Position-Specific Match Running Performance of Professional Football Players; Preliminary Observational Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted professional football in the 2019/2020 season, and football experts anticipate that the consequences of lockdown measures will negatively affect the physical performance of players once competition restarts. This study aimed to evaluate position-specific match running performance (MRP) to determine the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on the physical performance of professional football players. Players' MRPs (n = 124) were observed in matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in the 2019/2020 season of the highest level of national competition in Croatia and were classified according to player position: central defenders (CD; n = 42), fullbacks (FB; n = 20), midfielders (MF; n = 46), and forwards (FW; n = 16). The MRPs were measured using Global Positioning System, and included the total distance covered, low-intensity running (≤14.3 km/h), running (14.4-19.7 km/h), high-intensity running (≥19.8 km/h), total accelerations (>0.5 m/s2), high-intensity accelerations (>3 m/s2), total decelerations (less than -0.5 m/s2), and high-intensity decelerations (less than -3 m/s2). The results indicated that, in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown, (i) CDs and FBs featured lower running and high-intensity running (t-value: from 2.05 to 3.51; all p < 0.05; moderate to large effect sizes), (ii) MFs covered a greater distance in low-intensity running and achieved a lower number of total accelerations, and total and high-intensity decelerations (t-value: from -3.54 to 2.46; all p < 0.05, moderate to large effect sizes), and (iii) FWs featured lower high-intensity running (t-value = 2.66, p = 0.02, large effect size). These findings demonstrate that the physical performances of football players from the Croatian first division significantly decreased in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown. A combination of inadequate adaptation to football-specific match demands and a crowded schedule after the competition was restarted most likely resulted in such an effect.