Abstract
The aim of the present study was to quantify the impact of training restrictions, due to COVID-19 sanitary emergency, on physical and emotional strain of horse-riding Eventing competitions before and after eight weeks of lockdown. Performance was assessed by the penalty points attained, anxiety by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, strain by the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) method. Moreover, Heart Rate was continuously monitored for fifty-four female national level Eventing horse-riders. Lockdown decreased performance outcome of horse-riders in Eventing competitions up to six weeks, with the Dressage test being the most affected discipline. Performance in Dressage was strongly related to both anxiety and session-RPE. After lockdown, Show-Jumping and Cross-Country courses were shorter allowing RPE to remain stable, session-RPE to significantly decline and cardiovascular strain not to exceed pre-lockdown values. In conclusion, emotional stress in Dressage and workload in Cross-Country should be carefully managed by equestrian Eventing stakeholders when planning training and competitions after a period of lockdown. Moreover, sRPE appears to offer a practical method of monitoring riders load during training and competition and could also be of use for home-based training during any future sport activities restrictions.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | 1-10 |
Numero di pagine | 10 |
Rivista | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Volume | 17 |
DOI | |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2020 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Anxiety
- Athletes
- Athletic Performance
- COVID-19
- Competition
- Female
- Heart Rate
- Horse-riding
- Horses
- Humans
- Pandemics
- Rate perceived exertion
- Sports
- State anxiety