Detraining attenuation during the COVID-19 pandemic: practical considerations for home-based strength and power training

The COVID-19 pandemic that scattered across the world in 2020 has required collective action to control the transmission of the disease. Among the measures, social distancing has been widely adopted, aiming to reduce contact and people gathering. With the limited access to training places that have equipment and a variety of loads for strength and power training, alternative strategies to be carried out in the domestic environment are important for maintaining physical conditioning and mitigating the deleterious effects of detraining. Based on the available scientific literature, this article presents practical recommendations for strength training in the home environment. It is recommended to perform exercises that employ self-body weight, household items and, when available, dumbbells and elastic bands. Whenever using low loads (30-50% of 1 repetition maximum), performing the sets until the concentric failure seems to be necessary to optimize gains in strength and muscle mass. The practice of physical exercises should be performed on most days of the week (> 5 days/week), combined with domestic and leisure activities that involve the movement of the whole body. For maintenance and / or development of muscle power, ballistic movements must be included, in the presence or absence of external loads. Key-words: Strength training, Power, Detraining, COVID-19. RESUMO A pandemia de COVID-19 que se espalhou por todo o mundo em 2020 demandou ações coletivas para controle da transmissão da doença. Dentre as medidas adotadas, o distanciamento social vem sendo amplamente adotado, visando a redução do contato e aglomeração de pessoas. Com a limitação ao acesso a locais de treinamento que dispõe de equipamentos e variedade de carga para o treinamento de força e potência, estratégias alternativas para realização no ambiente doméstico se fazem importante para manutenção do condicionamento físico e atenuação dos efeitos deletérios do destreinamento. Utilizando como base a literatura científica disponível, Atenuação do destreinamento durante a pandemia de COVID-19: considerações práticas para o treinamento de força e potência em ambiente doméstico Detraining attenuation during the COVID-19 pandemic: practical considerations for homebased strength and power training Correspondence: Lucas Guimarães-Ferreira, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Center of Physical Education, Fernando Ferrari Ave, 514, 29075-910 Vitória/ES, Brazil. E-mail: lucas.ferreira@ufes.br Review Article Lucas Guimarães-Ferreira1,3, Danilo Salles Bocalini2,3 1. Muscle Physiology and Human Performance Research Group, Center of Physical Education, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória/ES, Brazil. 2. Translational Physiology Applied to Health, Sport and Human Performance Research Group, Center of Physical Education, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória/ES, Brazil. 3. Postgraduate Program in Physical Education, Center of Physical Education, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória/ES, Brazil. Received on: May 6, 2020; Accepted: May 9, 2020. Brazilian Journal of Exercise Physiology open acess ISSN: 2675-1372 RBFEx How to cite: Guimarães-Ferreira L, Bocalini DS. Detraining attenuation during the COVID-19 pandemic: practical considerations for home-based strength and power training. Rev Bras Fisiol Exerc 2020;19(2supl):S47-S55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33233/rbfe.v19i2. 4112 48 Guimarães-Ferreira & Bocalini Detraining attenuation and COVID-19