Changes in physical activity and eating behavior after coronavirus pandemic: an online survey of elite Korean male athletes

1. Introduction

In late 2019, the emergence of a novel coronavirus strain, subsequently designated as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), prompted a global pandemic declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many countries around the world have discouraged human interaction and banned international and domestic travel, restricting movement between regions. The movement bans and restriction orders were effective in reducing infectious diseases but resulted in various consequences for society as a whole, including economic and political turmoil, as well as changes in labor forms [2].

COVID-19 uses the same cell receptors as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to enter the body and is distantly related to Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). It is mainly transmitted via droplets produced by coughing, sneezing and other secretion- and aerosol-producing movements, especially among individuals in close contact [3]. Therefore, the risk of acquiring COVID-19 limits physical activities and sports that require close contact.

Elite Korean athletes are typically younger than the general population, which decreases their risk of serious illness or death [4]. However, elite athletes are not exempt from being infected by COVID-19. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 among this population is essential to protect other individuals at high death risk and slow down the pandemic to prevent the healthcare system from exceeding its capacity. Sports leagues in South Korea were suspended or canceled in response to the pandemic, including the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, highlighting the global scale of disruptions. Awareness among sports management professionals regarding COVID-19 prevention strategies is essential for injury prevention and the safe resumption of training and competition.

Notably, according to Sung’s [5] research, the eating habits of elite athletes have often changed since the COVID-19 pandemic; in the case of weight-loss athletes, their eating habits have decreased, and their weight-loss strategies have changed. Physical activity and diet are essential components of athletic performance. However, research on athletes’ training and dietary behaviors during the pandemic is predominantly Western-centric, indicating a gap in Asian-focused research, particularly in South Korea.

Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate changes in activities and eating habits before and after COVID-19 in elite adult athletes and to build a database of these changes. In addition, with a focus on maintaining performance, we would like to prepare for any future pandemic by proposing strategies for the successful reintegration of athletes after the pandemic.

2. Materials and methods

3. Results

4. Discussion

This study aimed to establish a comprehensive database of elite athletes by assessing their pre- and post-COVID-19 activity levels, dietary behaviors and engagement in competitions, with the ultimate goal of proposing strategies for their success post-pandemic.

The landscape of physical activity participation is significantly influenced by government policies related to COVID-19, reflecting regional variations shaped by socioeconomic factors [10]. Prior research has consistently indicated a global decrease in vigorous and moderate physical activities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the substantial impact of restrictions on sports and other physical activities [11].

COVID-19 quarantine measures also apply to sports facilities [12], and social distancing for infection prevention continues to be implemented worldwide, including in Korea. As such, the prohibition of the use of training facilities and multi-person gatherings is also considered to be the cause of the decrease in the activity of elite athletes. In addition, owing to the unique characteristics of elite athletes who participate in vigorous physical activity, it is believed that the time spent participating in vigorous and moderate physical activity has significantly decreased compared with ordinary people. In contrast, low-intensity physical activity increased across all sports compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, elite athletes are limited in terms of physical activity, as the main mode of training is limited to individual rather than group training.

This is the first time since World War II that elite players have been forced to stop all of their training and competitions. Under the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, most elite athletes train alone at home without a coach or leader [11]. Although some elite teams abroad offer their athletes home-based training programs and trainer-led online training programs [1, 13, 14], it is difficult to provide training equivalent to normal circumstances without professional sports facilities, especially when implementing training and strategies specific to particular sports [15].

The situation in South Korea is alarming. The evolving face-to-face reality that arrived sooner owing to the COVID-19 pandemic is a new online era that has never existed before [16]. Most elite athletes in Korea exercise alone, with many of them performing the exercises inaccurately [17]. Athletes who exercise at home because of the risk of COVID-19 infection are likely to be more exposed to certain levels of training interruptions due to insufficient or inappropriate training stimuli (i.e., partial or total loss of morphological and physiological adaptations). In other words, the lack of accurate training information is believed to have increased low-intensity physical activity. Therefore, safer face-to-face training measures and online training programs should be implemented to maintain training with more controlled conditions for elite athletes.

The sitting time for elite athletes increased by an average of 120 min, and this could be attributed to the increase in time spent at home due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission [9]. Online learning in a non-face-to-face environment is also responsible for increasing sitting time [18].

In addition, the socioecological model [19] reported that social or environmental barriers last less physical activity time than the variables that promote inactive lifestyles (social isolation, loneliness) [20, 21]. Therefore, involuntary long-term stays due to COVID-19 may encourage sedentary behavior, which is consistent with the findings of this study.

In terms of time spent lying down, an increase was seen compared with before the COVID-19 infection, except for ball game athletes, but this difference was not significant. This is seen as a result of players living in compliance with basic sleeping hours, even without training, owing to the regular lifestyles of elite athletes.

Changes in eating habits among athletes have been observed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with individual sports participants reporting an increased frequency of meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Similarly, athletes who engaged in almost all sports exhibited an increase in meal consumption. Preliminary investigations suggest a positive correlation between prolonged periods of home confinement due to COVID-19 transmission concerns and increased meal frequency and quantity [22, 23, 24]. This trend may be attributed to emotional factors. Furthermore, reduced physical activity and diminished social interactions have been linked to increased appetite. Conversely, certain sports disciplines such as combat sports have demonstrated a decline in food intake. This decrease could be attributed to the inherent weight management focus in these sports, with the cessation of training likely contributing to reduced food consumption. Additionally, this study elucidated alterations in athletes’ daily routines, aligning with recent findings suggesting a substantial impact of COVID-19 on global lifestyles [10, 25, 26].

5. Study limitations

This study is limited to elite Korean athletes. It was conducted only through an online survey (once during the pre- and post-lockdown periods) and did not require participants’ personal information. As a result, there is a possibility of insincere and duplicate responses from the respondents. Each questionnaire asked about their physical activities for the past seven days and did not include periods, such as two weeks or one month in detail. Finally, the physical activities of elite athletes were not classified into daily and professional physical activities but only intensified. In this case, an error may occur in the “low-level activity” part.

6. Practical applications

We aimed to establish a database of elite adult athletes and identify their physical activity, eating habits and participation in competitions. Through comparisons with cases abroad, this study aims to suggest methods for the successful reintegration of players with maintained performance levels after COVID-19. Leaders and athletes will be able to use this study to help in establishing athletic programs and return timelines. Typically, it is possible to adjust a new training schedule and set the training intensity by identifying insufficient exercise time. Based on this study, it is possible to understand players’ eating habits outside the season and analyze the differences in their activities. Finally, data will be available to prevent and prepare for the upcoming global pandemic, and preemptive prevention will allow athletes to maintain their performance and ensure safe returns.

7. Conclusions

Although there are indications of improvement in the COVID-19 pandemic, a definitive resolution remains uncertain, exerting continued influence on various aspects of athletes’ lives. Athletes are facing unprecedented challenges because of the prolonged duration of the pandemic, necessitating them to make adjustments in their lifestyles. Maintaining peak performance amid disrupted training regimens presents a significant challenge, emphasizing the need for athletes to adapt strategies to preserve their physical, physiological and psychological well-being. Consequently, athletes must gain insight into their current physical state, prioritize training efforts and maintain healthy habits. Leaders within an athletic community must remain vigilant when monitoring shifts in athletes’ daily routines and dietary habits. Furthermore, the adoption and promotion of remote educational methods are indispensable to ensure the continuous dissemination of accurate training information to athletes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of how elite athletes navigate and respond to the pandemic is imperative for their effective management and resilience.

Availability of data and materials

The data presented in this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Author contributions

JYS—contributed to the overall planning of the research, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation and major drafting and revision of manuscript submission. HRL—contributed to data acquisition, analysis and interpretation and major drafting and revision of manuscript submission. DRL—contributed to the anatomical and clinical opinion for conception, overall organization and direct supervision of the research. All authors contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. This study was also approved by the research ethics committee of Yongin University (approval no. 2-1040966-AB-N-01-2106-HSR-227-2). Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Survey participants were provided with the assurance that their responses would be exclusively utilized for research purposes and they explicitly consented to participate.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Editage for English language editing.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.