Covid-19 Lockdown Effects on Body Mass and Fat in French Elite Athletes

Objectives: Quantifying the change in body mass and fat of elite French athletes during the Covid-19 lockdown according to gender, training load, injuries and diet and mass management.Methods: Prior returning to training after the Covid-19 lockdown, 122 elite athletes (23.3 5.2 years old; 43% women), from 17 different sports and training at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) undergo a medical consultation, anthropometric assessment, and fill out a questionnaire.Body mass and fat data were analyzed and compared to pre-lockdown values.The influence of gender, training load, injuries, and dietary management on these two parameters was investigated.Paired t-tests for variables following a normal distribution and paired Wilcoxon tests in other cases were used.Results: Considering all athletes, body mass and fat significantly increased from 71.23 13.75 kg to 72.03 14.50 kg (p<0.01) and from 15 6.3% to 15.9 6.4% p<0.01) respectively.A decrease in training load and the absence of injuries during the lockdown were significant factors in the increase of body mass and fat mass.However, gender and self-reported difficulties with body mass and/or dietary management only significantly impacted body mass gain.Conclusion: Gender, training load management, occurrence of injury and difficulties in managing diet are all factors that influenced body mass and fat of elite athletes.The lockdown is just an example of prolonged training cessation in elite athletes.Our observations suggest the importance of nutritional education, adaptation of training load, and guidance from professionals during these periods.