Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for semi-professional soccer clubs after the crisis- a team study.

Abstract

In 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, the COVID-19 pandemic led to unexpected behavioral restrictions, allowing only the individual training of the athletes. The purpose of the present study was to record the effects of a home-based training program on physical performance at a semi-professional level, after the Covid-19 confinement, in terms of external load. Twenty soccer players from one semi-professional team participated in this study. The data was collected by GPS devices, with an accelerometer and gyroscope, and a sampling rate 10Hz. The external load is evaluated by the total distance, the high-intensity runs, the sprint distance as well as the number of accelerations and decelerations. Three matches before and twelve games after the lockdown were analyzed and compared. During the confinement period, the players performed 5-6 training sessions per week. This period lasted over 4 four months. The training sessions were monitored by a free smartphone application. Similarly, the players communicated with the technical staff with a free internet application. The results showed significant increases (p < 0.05) in the total distance covered during the matches after the intervention. No significant increase in highintensity runs and the number of accelerations were found (p > 0.05). The present data suggest that an intervention monitored by a free application could improve athletic performance at the semi-professional level, even after long-term abstinence from team training such as quarantine or off-season periods. These data might provide affordable solutions to the semi-professional soccer teams, which could be used during the off-season period leading to reduce detraining effects and higher performance in the forthcoming championship.