You snooze you lose? Not always. For athletes, better sleep equals better results.

In Episode 54 of Spooner’s Therapists in Motion podcast, Dan Miriovsky, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, Trent Rincon, PT, MPT, CSCS, DN, Cert ASTYM, and Jennifer Lee, PT, DPT, FAFS discuss an extremely vital component to successful recovery: sleep.

It is imperative that we allow ourselves the time to relax, recover, and recharge. There are quite a few things that stand out when looking at the relationship between sleep and recovery for athletic performance. Let’s take a look at three ways sleep plays a role in the recovery process and why sleep should be at the top of your priority list.

Injury prevention

Did you know that less than eight hours of sleep increases the likelihood of injury by 170 percent? Yep, you read that right. There is a direct correlation between lack of sleep and the probability that you could sustain an injury. In a study looking at injury rates in high school athletes, sleep hours were the strongest predictor of injuries, even more so than hours of practice.2 Plus, it’s highly unlikely that you would be able to perform at a competitive level during a tough practice if you are struggling to even keep your eyes open.

Nutrition also plays a fundamental role in recovery and injury prevention. In fact, nutrition and sleep have a bidirectional relationship. Sleep deprivation might cause an increase in the intake of unhealthy foods, which ultimately impairs glycogen repletion and protein synthesis, which are critical for recovery in athletes.1 You have lower executive brain function when you are tired, which impacts your decision-making ability and willpower.3 Not getting enough sleep can also alter your appetite-regulating hormones, along with your metabolism and brain function. With all of these factors in play, it is more likely you are going to reach for the high calorie, high sugar, and high fat snacks to try to get your energy back up again and carry on with your day.3 Why put yourself at a higher risk of injury by not prioritizing healthy sleeping and nutrition habits?

Read “Fueling Your Movement and Why It Matters” for more on the impact of nutrition on athletic performance and why it matters.

Physical performance

Not getting proper rest will negatively impact physical performance. In addition to an increased risk of injury, getting inadequate rest has quite a few repercussions on your overall physical performance. First and foremost, you reach the point of exhaustion faster when you are sleep-deprived. You fatigue quicker, plain and simple. It becomes much easier for your competition to get ahead of you if you can’t keep up with them due to lower stamina and endurance levels resulting from both physical and mental exhaustion.

Second, your perceived level of exertion and pain are significantly higher when you are tired. It does not mean the pain you are feeling is not real, it just means your understanding of the pain through the body is dramatically increased. Sports like running might be more likely affected by sleep deprivation than sports like weightlifting because they are typically more time-consuming and could have a negative impact on the perceived effort over the duration of the workout. This might be due to the higher physiologic demand required. 1

Lastly, your speed, power, and reaction time are all impacted as well. In a study of weightlifters which measured the impacts of partial sleep deprivation against normal sleep, sleep deprivation was shown to have a significant negative impact on bench press, leg press, and dead lift. Daily mood checks also showed a significant increase to fatigue and confusion.2 The list could go on, but we’ll leave it at that.

Mental performance

Your mental performance is just as important as your athletic performance. Short-term memory loss starts to become an issue with sleep deprivation. Not enough sleep may also alter an athlete’s ability to make a good decision versus a risky one in a split second, whether it is during the course of a game or in the middle of an intense practice.1 People might suggest caffeine as a countermeasure to combat against mental and physical fatigue and protect against these poor decisions from happening; however, caffeine does not replace a proper night of sleep for these functions.1 Energy drinks are not winning this battle!

The ability to learn new skills (and learn quickly) is an important aspect of sports. The roots of memory consolidation are found in sleep?1 Getting proper rest after learning key information, such as plays for the next big game, improves performance significantly later on.

Lack of sleep and poor sleep quality also exacerbate depression and anxiety symptoms, which can result in an increased risk of injury – a vicious cycle of one thing affecting another can quickly result from sleep deprivation. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has included sleep health as part of their published mental health best practices.1

Prioritizing sleep should be a best practice that exists on the top of every athlete’s list. It’s up to you as an athlete, parent or coach to promote a culture of healthy sleeping habits, regardless of age and athletic level. From the weekend warrior to the professional athlete, sleep is a key component on the road to recovery. Let’s stop feeling guilty for prioritizing quality shut-eye time and start placing sleep at the top of our list for putting our best self forward, on and off the field.

Listen to the full episode of Therapists in Motion #54 “Zzzzzs & Blasters – Recovery Part 2” to learn more about the importance of sleep for recovery and athletic performance, and how you can accomplish it!

References:

  1. Charest, J., & Grandner, M. A. (2020). Sleep and Athletic Performance: Impacts on Physical Performance, Mental Performance, Injury Risk and Recovery, and Mental Health. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 151, 41-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.11.005
  2. Fatigue Science, and Larissa Cox. “5 Areas Sleep Has the Greatest Impact on Athletic Performance.” Fatigue Science, Fatigue Science https://Www.fatiguescience.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/2019/11/Readi-Logo-Nav.svg, 11 July 2019, www.fatiguescience.com/blog/5-ways-sleep-impacts-peak-athletic-performance/.
  3. Mitton, Nicole. “Why You Crave Junk Food When You’re Tired and How a Healthy Diet Can Fight Fatigue.” MyMed, Nov. 2019, www.mymed.com/latest-news/why-you-crave-junk-food-when-youre-tired-and-how-a-healthy-diet-can-fight-fatigue.