Monitoring body mass status during the COVID-19 quarantine in combat and aesthetic sports

Introduction: Body mass is a crucial matter in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in combat and aesthetic sports which use body mass or weight as a variable in determining class/division for a match. This study aims to analyze and compare the effects of COVID-19 quarantining on body mass between combat and aesthetic sports athletes. Material and methods: 150 male athletes, in the age group of 20–23 years old, participated in this study. They were grouped into two. The first consisted of 100 combat sports athletes, including boxing (n = 25), Judo (n = 20), Karate (n = 20), Taekwondo (n = 20), and Pencak Silat (n = 15). The second group was comprised of 50 aesthetic sports athletes, including aerobic (n = 20), artistic gymnastics (n = 15), and diving (n = 15). This study focused on two parts: body mass measurement before the large-scale social restrictions in DKI Jakarta was implemented (Pre-LSCR) and body mass measurement during the large-scale social restrictions in DKI Jakarta (During-LSCR). A Life Satisfaction (LS) questionnaire was administered to all participants During-LSCR. Results: The LS questionnaire showed a higher level of the “very satisfying” response in aesthetic sports athletes regarding doing sports During-LSCR (90%), compared to that in combat sports athletes (16%). On the other hand, there were significant differences in body mass (p = 0.001) and body fat percentage (p = 0.001) between combat sports and aesthetic sports athletes. Conclusions: This study shows that aesthetic sports lighter than combat sports during the 20-day quarantine period in the COVID-19 pandemic.