Impact of Housing Conditions on Physical Fitness Changes in College Rugby Players during Team Training Interruptions: A retrospective longitudinal study

Abstract

The global outbreak of novel coronavirus infection in the winter of 2020 led to city lockdowns and curfews in many parts of the world, forcing university athletes to suspend training. De-training negatively affects athletic performance. In school sports, temporary closures due to infectious diseases often occur yearly. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the differences in the changes in various physical fitness factors between two different residential environments during the suspension of team activities. The observation period was 7 months, from March to September 2020. The baseline period was defined as the period before the voluntary suspension of team activities (March), the de-training period was the timeframe of suspension of team activities (April-May), and the follow-up period was defined as the period after the resumption of team practice (June-September). The study participants included 17 dormitory students and 14 home-schooled students in a university rugby team. The dormitories were equipped with training equipment and space for minimal training. The team staff provided a training program for both dormitory and non-dormitory students, which could be followed at home during periods when team practices were suspended. This study showed sig-nificant differences between dormitory and home-schooled students in the maximum lifting weight measurement of narrow chinning at baseline and after de-training. Other physical fitness factors did not differ significantly between groups or measurement periods. Although this study sample size was small and sufficient power could not be obtained, home weight training could maintain a certain level of maximum muscle strength as in the present study, suggesting that preparation for back exercises that can be performed at home is essential for the back muscles.