Key result
During the COVID-19 pandemic, professional and advanced amateur cyclists maintained their training volume and frequency but significantly reduced their high-intensity interval training time from 37.0 to 31.6 minutes per week.
Why the study?
The COVID-19 pandemic affected many communities, but data regarding its specific impact on cyclists remained scarce.
Does the COVID-19 pandemic reduce training volume and intensity in professional and advanced amateur cycling athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=130)
Does the COVID-19 pandemic reduce training volume and intensity in professional and advanced amateur cycling athletes?
The COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce the overall training volume or frequency of advanced cyclists, but it did lead to a reduction in high-intensity interval training.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Pandemic-associated HIIT reductions may affect cyclist fitness; hypothesis-generating for performance impacts and mitigation.
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has affected different communities, yet the data on its impact on cyclists, is scarce. Material and methods The present study assessed the training patterns of pro and advanced amateur cycling athletes in Poland (n=130) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic season and in relation to their epidemiological situation and quality of life factors. Results The volume and weekly frequency of training was not decreased during the pandemic. However, their High-Intensity Interval Trainings (weekly 31.6 vs. 37.0 min, p=0.004) and maximum weekly Training Stress Score (660 vs. 715, p=0.001) decreased. Compared to uninfected cyclists, those who contracted the SARS-CoV-2 registered a higher score in the somatic, social and environmental domain of the WHO-QoL questionnaire (56.1 vs. 50.6, p=0.024; 74.1 vs. 63.6, p=0.032 and 72.5 vs. 65.9, p=0.018, respectively); no changes were observed in the psychologic domain Change in the weekly frequency of training, volume, time spent in >90% and 80-90% of HRmax (min) correlated positively only with the somatic domain of the WHO-QoL. The training pattern of cyclists who experienced death to COVID-19 among their relatives remained unaffected, but they presented a lower psychologic domain in the WHO-QoL (64.5 vs. 69.2, p=0.02). Conclusions Cycling pro and advanced amateurs maintained their volume and frequency of training but reduced its intensity during the pandemic compared to 2019. Changes were more likely to be affected by their physical status than by their psychogenic condition. The pandemic had a limited effect on the training pattern of cycling athletes.
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Rzymski et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Professional and advanced amateur cycling athletes (n=130). COVID-19 pandemic (2020 season) vs. Pre-pandemic period (2019 season) was evaluated on Time spent in high-intensity interval training (>90% of HRmax) [min/week] (p=0.004). During the COVID-19 pandemic, professional and advanced amateur cyclists maintained their training volume and frequency but significantly reduced their high-intensity interval training time from 37.0 to 31.6 minutes per week.
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