The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Performance and Mental Health—A Retrospective Case Series of Belgian Male Professional Football Players
Jente Wagemans, Peter Catteeuw, Jan Vandenhouten, Jordi Jansen, Xander de Corte, Ciesse Ceusters, Dirk Vissers
Abstract
Rationale: As every season, physical performance of players of Royal Antwerp FC's first team was regularly tested and mental well-being and mood were assessed during football season 2020–2021. Just like in the general population, several professional athletes were infected by SARS-CoV-2 during that season. COVID-19 is a complex disorder affecting multiple body systems, potentially damaging lungs, affecting the cardiovascular system or causing muscle weakness. Therefore, the impact of COVID-19 on performance was a major concern for the affected football players and their entourage. Objectives: To retrospectively examine the influence of COVID-19 on physical performance and mental health in professional football athletes during the season 2020–2021. Methods: Thirty-three professional athletes (age: 25.37 ± 4.11 years; height: 182.75 ± 7.62 cm; weight: 78.90 ± 8.97 kg) of a Belgian first division football club were assessed weekly during the 2020-2021 season. Weekly assessments comprised strength values of the hamstrings, hip abductors and hip adductors, jump performance, a modified Hooper questionnaire to assess mental status and nose swab PCR tests for COVID-19. Data analysis was performed from 2 weeks prior to COVID-19 contamination up to 8 weeks after the first positive test. Post-hoc Bonferroni correction was applied when performing statistical analysis. Results: Eleven players tested positive for COVID-19. Duration of contamination was 13 ± 7 days. There was no statistically significant difference before and after COVID-19 infection for jump performance, and adductor and abductor muscle strength ( p > 0.05). Functional hamstring strength improved significantly 2 weeks (MD: 41.48; 95%CI: −3.79 to 86.75; p = 0.009) and 4 weeks (MD: 34.76; 95%CI: −8.91 to 78.42; p = 0.019) after COVID-19, whereas mood (MD: −0.60; 95%CI: −1.46 to 0.26; p = 0.041), stress levels (MD: −0.83; 95%CI: −1.85 to 0.20; p = 0.020) and total wellness (MD: −2.41; 95%CI: −5.25 to 0.43; p = 0.015) showed a significant reduction 8 weeks after confirmed COVID-19. Conclusion: Physical performance varied considerably across outcomes before and 8 weeks after COVID-19 contamination in a sample of first division football players. However, affected football players' overall well-being, stress levels and mood diminished after a positive COVID-19 test.