Increased Sleep Is Associated With Higher Maximal Aerobic Capacity In NCAA Division 1 Athletes
Haraldsdottir, Kristin; Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: July 2020 - Volume 52 - Issue 7S - p 502
Prior research regarding sleep and endurance performance has primarily focused on sleep deprivation or sleep restriction among sedentary or recreationally active individuals. Little is known about the effect of real-world sleep fluctuations on aerobic capacity and performance in elite athletes.
PURPOSE: To determine the impact of sleep duration acutely and chronically on maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and ventilatory threshold (VT) in NCAA division 1 athletes.
METHODS: Over 2 years, 254 collegiate Division I varsity athletes from multiple sports (17-23 years old) performed incremental maximal exercise testing to determine VO2max and VT. On the day of testing, participants reported sleep duration for the prior night and the average sleep duration for the prior month. Acute:chronic sleep was calculated as the ratio of prior night to prior month sleep. Variables were grouped by prior night and prior month sleep duration (<8 hours or ≥8 hours/night) as well as acute:chronic (<1, ≥1). VO2max and VT were compared between groups using independent t-tests. Separate linear mixed effect models were used to evaluate the relationship between acute and acute:chronic sleep on VO2max and VT, while adjusting for age and individual repeated measures.
RESULTS: Athletes who slept ≥8 hours the night before the test had significantly higher VO2max than those who slept <8 hours (53±5.1 v 51.1±6.8 ml/kg/min, p=0.02). Athletes who slept more than usual before the test (acute:chronic sleep ≥1) had higher VO2max (53±5.9 v 50.8±6.6 ml/kg/min, p=0.01) and VT (43.1±5.4 v 39.4±7 ml/kg/min, p<0.01) than those who slept less than usual. In the multivariable models, prior night sleep duration was predictive of VO2max (1.0±0.31, p<0.01) and VT (0.91±0.33p=0.01), and acute:chronic sleep was predictive of VO2max (6.8±2.2, p<0.01) and VT (8.6±2.3, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Among collegiate NCAA division 1 athletes, increased sleep duration is associated with significantly greater VO2max and VT, both of which are important predictors of athletic performance. In addition to the well-known and wide-ranging physical and mental benefits of sleep, interventions to increase sleep duration among elite athletes may improve endurance performance, and would support the NCAA’s mission to promote the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes.