Assessment of the Impact of Confinement by SARS-CoV-2 on the Body Composition of Elite Soccer Players

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Antonio Jesús Berral Aguilar; Guillermo Mendez Rebolledo; Daniel Rojano Ortega; Heliodoro Moya Amaya; Antonio Molina López & Francisco José Berral de la Rosa

Summary

The confinement due to a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has aggravated the physical and nutritional condition of elite athletes, modifying their training routine. Bioimpedance (BIA) studies body composition and is used to assess the evolution of medical, sports and nutritional interventions. The objective of the study was to observe if a specific nutritional intervention and prescription of physical activity could attenuate the changes in water, body composition, and phase angle (PhA) after confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in a population of professional soccer players. In a group of (22 professional soccer players (Se- rie A, Calcio, Italy) the BIA was evaluated before (February 2020) and after (May 2020) the confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. During the confinement period, a specific nutritional intervention and prescription of physical activity was applied. The measurements of the participants were carried out in a standardized way, using anthropometric material and a multifrequency, octopolar and segmental impedance measurer of the “Tanita” brand model MC-780MA. Student's T test was applied for related samples. No significant differences were observed before and after the intervention period, in the degree of hydration and body composition (muscle mass and fat mass). On the contrary, a significant change in PhA was evidenced. These data allow us to hav a reference for nutritional and physical activity interventions that can minimize or reduce the impact of confinement on body composition. However, this type of intervention was not able to attenuate the effects of confinement on PhA, considered an indicator of cellular health. Likewise, we provide a reference vector graph, using Specific BIVA, of this population.

KEY WORDS: Phase angle; Hydratation; Specific BIVA; Muscle mass and fat; COVID-19.

How to cite this article

BERRAL, A. A. J.; MENDEZ, R. G. ; ROJANO, O. D.; MOYA, A. H.; MOLINA, L. A. & BERRAL DE LA ROSA, F. J. Assessment of the impact of confinement by SARS-CoV-2 on the body composition of elite soccer players. Int. J.Morphol., 39(4):1088-1095, 2021.