Puberal and Adolescent Horse Riders’ Fitness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Training Restrictions on Health-Related and Functional Motor Abilities

Sabrina Demarie, Emanuele Chirico, Cecilia Bratta and Cristina Cortis
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Sabrina Demarie: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
Emanuele Chirico: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
Cecilia Bratta: Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale, 03043 Cassino, Italy
Cristina Cortis: Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale, 03043 Cassino, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: The aim of the study was to analyse the fitness level of young horse riders before and after 12 weeks of training restrictions instituted due to the COVID-19 emergency. Anthropometrical measure assessment and an eight-items fitness test battery were administered to 61 puberal and adolescent female amateur horse riders. Subjects were evaluated within 3 weeks before (pre-tests) the period of training restrictions and on the first day of normal training after it (post-tests). Post-test results showed significant increases in body weight (Z: −1.732; p value: 0.001; ES: −0.157) and BMI (F: 9.918; p value: 0.003; ES: 0.146), whilst the performance in hand grip and abdominal strength, hip mobility, and 10 × 5 m Shuttle and Cooper 12 min tests’ outcomes significantly decreased (F: 29.779; p value: 0.001 F: 29.779; p value: 0.001 F: 29.779; p value: 0.001 F: 29.779; p value: 0.001 F: 29.779; p value: 0.001, respectively). Correlation analysis revealed that riders’ experience was significantly correlated with hand grip ( p < 0.01), leg strength ( p < 0.01), hip mobility ( p < 0.05), and 5 × 10 m Shuttle ( p < 0.01) and the Cooper 12 min ( p < 0.01) test results. It could be suggested that equestrian activities could produce a higher fitness level in puberal and adolescent riders, whilst home-based, unsupervised, and unattentively planned training during the twelve weeks of training restrictions might be insufficient to maintain it.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; adolescent fitness; young athletes; outdoor sport; horse riding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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