What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: COVID-19 confinement in high-performance athletes (n=175). Intervention: COVID-19 confinement (Paralympic vs Olympic status) vs. Olympic athletes. Primary outcome: Perception of negative impact in training and performance by confinement (r = 0.60, p=<0.005).

August 5, 2020Open Access

Modulators of the Personal and Professional Threat Perception of Olympic Athletes in the Actual COVID-19 Crisis

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Paralympic athletes perceived a higher negative impact on their training and performance due to COVID-19 confinement compared to Olympic athletes (r = 0.60, p < 0.005).

Key Result

Paralympic athletes perceived a higher negative impact on their training and performance due to COVID-19 confinement compared to Olympic athletes (r = 0.60, p < 0.005).

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=175)

Structured PICO

Population

175 Olympic and Paralympic athletes classified or in process to the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, mean age 27.62 years, 58.9% female, confined in Spain.

Outcome

Perception of personal and professional threat, psychological profile, loneliness, psychological inflexibility, and anxiety during COVID-19 confinementpatient reported

During the COVID-19 confinement, Paralympic and female athletes experienced greater negative psychological impacts and perceived higher threats to their training and performance compared to their counterparts.

Main Result

Effect estimate: r = 0.60

p-value: p=<0.005

Limitations

Lack of control of stress-related hormones

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is now a major global health issue, affecting world population and high-performance athlete too. The aim of the present research was to analyze the effect of psychological profile, academic schedule, and gender in the perception of personal and professional threat of Olympic and Paralympic athletes facing the 2021 Tokyo Olympiad in the actual COVID-19 crisis. We analyzed in 136 Olympic (26.4 ± 6.2 years) and 39 Paralympic athletes (31.8 ± 9.3 years) academic and sport variables, individual perceptions about COVID-19 crisis, personality, loneliness, psychological inflexibility, and anxiety. Paralympic athletes perceived higher negative impact in their training and performance by the confinement than Olympic athletes (+24.18, p r = 0.60). Neuroticism and psychological inflexibility presented the greatest negative feelings for female athletes (+32.59, p r = 0.13) and the perception that quarantine would negatively affect their sports performance. Finally professional athletes showed lower values in personality tests (Agreeableness factor) about COVID-19 crisis than non-professionals (−40.62, p r = 0.88).

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