Does Sleep Extension Improve Athletic Performance and Nutrition?

1. Does Sleep Extension Improve Athletic Performance and Nutrition? Oluremi Famodu1, Diana Gilleland MS2, James Thomas III MS2, Hawley Montgomery-Downs Ph.D3, Amy Wells4, Randall Bryner Ph.D2, Melissa Olfert DrPH, MS, RD, LD1 Oluremi Famodu Candidate for MS Human Nutrition & Graduate Dietetic Intern at WVU West Virginia University: 1Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design - Department of Human Nutrition and Foods; 2School of Medicine-Department of Human Performance-Exercise Physiology, 3Eberly College of Arts and Sciences-Department of Psychology, : 4Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design - Department of Biochemistry • RESULTS • Demographics/Anthropometrics • Of the 21 participants, most were Freshman (33.3%) or Senior (33.3%), then Sophomore (19.1%), Junior (9.5%) and other (4.8%). • Participants were primarily Caucasians (90.5%), followed equally by African-American and other (both 4.8%). • Position in track ranged from long distance runners (71.4%), field athletes (14.3%) (shot put, discus, etc) and short distance (14.3%). • Participant’s age ranged from 18-23 years old (Table 1). • Average height of participants was 5’4” and average weight 135.5 lbs. Sleep • Total sleep time significantly increased during the sleep extension period compared to baseline by 22.0 ± 6.4 minutes (p = 0.03) (Table 2). • Sleep efficiency improved following sleep extension, although not significant (p = 0.96). • Physical and Mental Performance Outcomes • Maximum power output improved given an extra hour of sleep (692.9 ± 213.2 watts versus 713.5 ± 214.6 watts; p = 0.71) (Table 3). • Fatigue index increased from baseline (37.3 ± 10.6% versus 38.8 ± 8.42%; p = 0.34) (Table 3). • Total mood disturbance score improved by an average of 8 points following the sleep extension period. (Table 4). • Participants felt less fatigued and more vigorous given more sleep (data not shown). • Nutrition Outcomes • Longer sleep duration showed an increase in caloric intake derived from fat and a decrease in caloric intake from carbohydrates (Figure 1). • Athletes decreased water intake after one more hour of sleep (Table 5). • Other Variables • Number of physical and mental unhealthy days and perceived stress decreased from baseline (Figure 2). INTRODUCTION Insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic!1Among 74,571 adults, 35.3% reported <7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period.1 Adequate sleep is an essential component to rest and recovery. For collegiate athletes, getting the recommended hours of sleep2 may become an issue due to inconsistent schedules and many commitments (classes, practices, games/matches, trainings). Detrimental effects of inadequate sleep (sleep deprivation), on athletes’ performance has been well documented. In contrast, increasing sleep (sleep extension), has not been thoroughly investigated in this population. Furthermore, the effect of sleep on an athlete's nutrition behaviors and choices has yet to be determined. OBJECTIVES Objective 1: To evaluate the effects of sleep extension (minimum of one hour) on physical and mental performance measures in collegiate female athletes Objective 2: To evaluate the effects of sleep extension (minimum of one hour) on caloric intake and macronutrient distribution in collegiate female athletes *One-tailed probability Data presented as mean ± standard deviation Figure 1. Quality of Life and Cohen’s Stress Baseline and Sleep Extension • METHODS • Recruitment/Screening • Inclusion Criteria • Female WVU Varsity Track & Field participant • Full-time student, age 18-24 • No illicit drug use; non-smoker; alcohol limited most days of the week • Qualtrics Screening Questionnaire • Surveyed Track Team and Exercise Physiology undergraduate students • Letter of support from Track Coach (email generated by manager) • Secretary of Exercise Physiology sent survey through mix • Consent (Human Performance Lab) • Methods • Twenty-one females maintained normal sleep habits for one week. Baseline data was followed by a one week sleep extension period (one hour more of sleep from baseline). Physical performance was measured using a standard anaerobic test (Wingate Test). The ASA 24-hour food-recall questionnaire was used to test nutrient intake. Reaction time and mood were monitored via the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) and Profile of Mood States (POMS), respectively. Other variables measured were CDC’s Quality of Life score and Cohen’s Stress score. • Statistical Analysis • Frequency data was calculated for demographics and anthropometrics. Pre to post differences in physical and mental performance, in addition to dietary behaviors were assessed using Wilcoxon Mann Whitney tests. • CONCLUSION • Subjects significantly improved total sleep time during sleep extension period given busy schedule. • Sleep extension showed no significant improvements in physical (power output and fatigue index) or mental performance (reaction time and mood) in female athletes. • Extended sleep beyond an athlete’s habitual nightly sleep has been shown to improve performance measures in athletes3. • No significant differences were found in energy consumption or macronutrient distribution with one more hour of sleep in female athletes • Data to suggest sleep deprivation leads to pro-obesogenic behaviors (↑ caloric consumption from fat ↓consumption from carbohydrates)4. REFERENCES CDC (2008). Perceived insufficient rest or sleep among adults—United States National Sleep Foundation (2013). How much sleep do you really need? Mah, C. D., Mah, K. E., Kezirian, E. J., & Dement, W. C. (2011). The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep, 34(7), 943-950. Weiss, A., Xu, F., Storfer-Isser, A., Thomas, A., Ievers-Landis, C. E., & Redline, S. (2010). The association of sleep duration with adolescents' fat and carbohydrate consumption. Sleep, 33(9), 1201-1209. Data presented as mean ± standard deviation Funding Provided By: WVU Agricultural Experimental (PI Olfert) Want an electronic copy of this poster? Do you have a smart phone? Go to the App Store Search “QR Code Reader” Download, Open, & Scan! Data presented as mean ± standard deviation Figure 2. Macronutrient Distribution Baseline and Sleep Extension