Effects of the COVID -19 Pandemic on Physical Activity, Mood Status, and Eating Patterns of Iranian Elite Athletes and Non-Athletes

Background: Suspension of sports activities during the covid-19 pandemic led to unhealthy lifestyles such as harmful eating habits, low physical activity levels, and mood changes. Objectives: We examined the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on the mood states, physical activity levels, and eating habits of athletes and non-athletes during the pandemic in Iran. Methods: A total of 257 elite athletes (n = 82) and non-athletes (n = 175) (29.95 ± 9.1 years) voluntarily participated in a web-based survey. Eating disorder symptoms and physical activity levels were evaluated using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) was used to evaluate the mood status of the participants. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare differences between groups. The significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: It was demonstrated that the physical activity levels of athletes were superior to that of the non-athlete controls (P = 0.001), but non-athletes revealed healthier dietary habits than elite athletes (P = 0.049). It was also observed that the mood status of elite athletes was not significantly different from non-athletes (P = 0.71). Conclusions: As shown in the results section, athletes had more favorable levels of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic than their fellow non-athletes, but this superiority had no positive effect on their moods. Moreover, non-athletes had healthier dietary habits than non-athletes.