A Co-Relation Study between the Physical Activity, Stress and Intake of Micronutrients on Young Athletes (18-35 years) before and during Lockdown

As lockdown has imposed space for athletes from their daily training/practice sessions along with competition schedules, it increases the unpredictability about the future. Reduced training and imbalanced diet has affected their future competitiveness, damaging their physical, social and psychological abilities. This research was done to study how athletic performance was affected due to lack of training/practice sessions along with micronutrient intake and it?s impact on mental health. A cross-sectional study was done with purposive sampling. Data was collected via online questionnaire which included sets of questions regarding physical activity, Cohort perceived stress scale and food frequency table for micronutrient, before and during lockdown. The study was conducted during lockdown hence, non availability of certain foods was observed, which resulted in low intake of micronutrients (especially Calcium, Iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin D) among 70% of athletes. These athletes were found more prone to injury and infections, which lowered their physical activity and thereby resulted in increased stress levels. Hence, it was concluded that before lockdown athletes were able to handle situations and manage their diet as well as training/practice sessions. However, during lockdown it became difficult for athletes to manage things holistically which affected their dietary pattern and mental health.