Sleep plays a critical role in peak performance.
It has been well established that sleep supports multiple systems throughout the body, ensuring recovery and adaptation. Nevertheless, sleep still eludes many individuals, especially athletes who are notorious for insufficient sleep performance.
Today, The Research Desk dives into a meta-analysis of sleep deprivation and physical performance to uncover just where sleep insufficiencies hit the hardest.
PMID: 40236824
Vitality Takeaway
This was a meta-analysis of 45 studies, including 16 studies on aerobic endurance, eight on anaerobic endurance, 23 on explosive power, 10 on maximum strength, four on speed, four on skill control, and 12 on rating of perceived exertion (RPE).
Researchers took this examination a step further, looking at these effects in both athletic and non-athletic populations.
Researchers found that sleep deprivation had significant negative effects on aerobic performance, explosive power, maximum strength, speed performance, motor control, and RPE rating in athletes. Non-athletes only saw negative effects on aerobic performance.
Interestingly, this study did not find any negative effects on anaerobic power endurance for either non-athletes or athletes.
Additionally, researchers noted the effect sizes of each of these findings when the two groups were pooled together. Effect size analysis showed sleep deprivation had the highest negative impact on skill control (−0.87) and aerobic endurance (−0.76), followed by declines in speed (−0.58) and increased RPE (0.51). Explosive power (−0.46) and maximal strength (−0.24) had the lowest effect sizes.
Authors connect these findings to the influence that sleep deprivation exerts on multiple physiological systems. Without sleep, these systems suffer, resulting in suboptimal performance.
They also connect the decreases in strength and explosive power to the increases in RPE when athletes perceive a task as demanding more than they can handle, their motivation and ability to maintain performance tank.
Vitality Application
It is well established that sleep influences hormonal balances, immune function, and energy metabolism, all of which play integral roles in promoting optimal performance.
These findings further solidify sleep's place as a cornerstone in optimal performance. While there is solid evidence for sleep's impact on cognitive function, these data point to which areas of physical performance are directly supported by sleep and to what magnitude.
Recommendation: Strive to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep for optimal recovery and adaptation.
Explore the Vitality Encyclopedia to learn more about these topics.
