BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic with the stay-at-home orders and lockdown has dramatically forced athletes to stop team training and competitions, causing deep changes in habits and lifestyle. Aim of this study was to evaluate in a retrospective single center study the cardiovascular (CV) health and fitness of elite football player after COVID-19 lockdown in Italy and to compare such findings with the 2019 off-season period, in order to identify potential differences in the CV features and outcomes. METHODS: All 29 professional football players of the first male team were enrolled before resuming training and competition after COVID-19 lockdown and underwent several exams including physical examination, resting and stress electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, spiRESULTS: Median age was 27 years (23; 31), with no athlete being COVID-19 positive at the time of the evaluation. In comparison with the usual off-season 2-month detraining, significant differences were found for left ventricular (LV) mass (189 g [172; 212] vs. 181 g [167; 206], P=0.024) and LV Mass Index for body surface area (94 g/m2 [85; 104] vs. 88 g/m2 [79.5; 101.5], P=0.017), while LV mass/fat free mass remained unchanged (2.8 g/kg [2.6; 2.9] vs. 2.9 g/kg [2.6; 3.2], P=0.222). Respiratory function and metabolic profile were improved, while no significant changes were found in ECG findings, at rest and during exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged abstinence from training and competitions induced by lockdown elicited significant changes in comparison with off-season in parameters ascribable to detraining, as the changes in LV mass, in respiratory function and in metabolic profile. (Cite this article as: Cavarretta E, D'Angeli I, Giammarinaro M, Gervasi S, Fanchini M, Causarano A, et al. Cardiovascular effects of COVID-19

Cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 lockdown in professional football players / Cavarretta, Elena; D'Angeli, Ilaria; Giammarinaro, Maura; Gervasi, Salvatore; Fanchini, Maurizio; Causarano, Andrea; Costa, Vincenzo; Manara, Massimo; Terribili, Noemi; Sciarra, Luigi; Calò, Leonardo; Fossati, Chiara; Peruzzi, Mariangela; Versaci, Francesco; Carnevale, Roberto; Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; Frati, Giacomo. - In: PANMINERVA MEDICA. - ISSN 0031-0808. - 64:4(2022), pp. 497-505. [10.23736/S0031-0808.21.04340-8]

Cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 lockdown in professional football players

Cavarretta, Elena
Primo
Conceptualization
;
Peruzzi, Mariangela;Carnevale, Roberto;Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe;Frati, Giacomo
2022

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic with the stay-at-home orders and lockdown has dramatically forced athletes to stop team training and competitions, causing deep changes in habits and lifestyle. Aim of this study was to evaluate in a retrospective single center study the cardiovascular (CV) health and fitness of elite football player after COVID-19 lockdown in Italy and to compare such findings with the 2019 off-season period, in order to identify potential differences in the CV features and outcomes. METHODS: All 29 professional football players of the first male team were enrolled before resuming training and competition after COVID-19 lockdown and underwent several exams including physical examination, resting and stress electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, spiRESULTS: Median age was 27 years (23; 31), with no athlete being COVID-19 positive at the time of the evaluation. In comparison with the usual off-season 2-month detraining, significant differences were found for left ventricular (LV) mass (189 g [172; 212] vs. 181 g [167; 206], P=0.024) and LV Mass Index for body surface area (94 g/m2 [85; 104] vs. 88 g/m2 [79.5; 101.5], P=0.017), while LV mass/fat free mass remained unchanged (2.8 g/kg [2.6; 2.9] vs. 2.9 g/kg [2.6; 3.2], P=0.222). Respiratory function and metabolic profile were improved, while no significant changes were found in ECG findings, at rest and during exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged abstinence from training and competitions induced by lockdown elicited significant changes in comparison with off-season in parameters ascribable to detraining, as the changes in LV mass, in respiratory function and in metabolic profile. (Cite this article as: Cavarretta E, D'Angeli I, Giammarinaro M, Gervasi S, Fanchini M, Causarano A, et al. Cardiovascular effects of COVID-19
2022
athletes; cardiovascular system; COVID-19; quarantine
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 lockdown in professional football players / Cavarretta, Elena; D'Angeli, Ilaria; Giammarinaro, Maura; Gervasi, Salvatore; Fanchini, Maurizio; Causarano, Andrea; Costa, Vincenzo; Manara, Massimo; Terribili, Noemi; Sciarra, Luigi; Calò, Leonardo; Fossati, Chiara; Peruzzi, Mariangela; Versaci, Francesco; Carnevale, Roberto; Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; Frati, Giacomo. - In: PANMINERVA MEDICA. - ISSN 0031-0808. - 64:4(2022), pp. 497-505. [10.23736/S0031-0808.21.04340-8]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1676611
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