Juliff, LE, Halson, SL, Hebert, JJ, Forsyth, PL, and Peiffer, JJ. Longer sleep durations are positively associated with finishing place during a national multiday netball competition. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 189-194, 2018-Sleep is often regarded as the single best recovery strategy available to an athlete, yet little is known about the quality and quantity of sleep in athletes during multiday competitions. This study objectively evaluated sleep characteristics of athletes during a national netball tournament. Using wrist actigraphy monitors and sleep diaries, 42 netballers from 4 state teams were monitored for the duration of a tournament (6 days) and 12 days before in home environments. Significant differences were found between teams based on final competition standings, suggesting enhanced sleep characteristics in athlete's whose team finished higher in the tournament standings. The top 2 placed teams when compared with the lower 2 placed teams slept longer (8:02 ± 36:43; 7:01 ± 27:33), had greater time in bed (9:03 ± 0:52; 7:59 ± 0:54) and reported enhanced subjective sleep ratings (2.6 ± 0.5; 2.3 ± 0.6). Sleep efficiency was no different between teams. A strong correlation (r = -0.68) was found indicating longer sleep durations during competition were associated with higher final tournament positions. Encouraging athletes to aim for longer sleep durations in competition, where possible, may influence the outcome in tournament style competitions.

Purpose This study aimed to establish the true influence of spinal cord injury (SCI) level on core temperature and sweating during exercise in the heat independently of biophysical factors. Methods A total of 31 trained males (8 with tetraplegia [TP; C5–C8], 7 with high paraplegia [HP; T1–T5], 8 with low paraplegia [LP; T6–L1], and 8 able bodied [AB]) performed 3 × 10 min of arm ergometry with 3-min rest at a metabolic heat production of (a) 4.0 W·kg−1 (AB vs TP) or (b) 6.0 W·kg−1 (AB vs HP vs LP), in 35°C, 50% relative humidity. Esophageal (T es) and local skin temperatures and local sweat rate (LSR) on the forehead and upper back were measured throughout. Results Change in T es was greatest in TP (1.86°C ± 0.32°C vs 0.29°C ± 0.07°C, P < 0.001) and greater in HP compared with LP and AB, reaching 1.20°C ± 0.50°C, 0.66°C ± 0.23°C, and 0.53°C ± 0.12°C, respectively (P < 0.001). Approximately half of the variability in end-trial ΔT es was described by SCI level in paraplegics (adjusted R 2 = 0.490, P = 0.005). Esophageal temperature onset thresholds of sweating at the forehead and upper back were similar among HP, LP, and AB, whereas no sweating was observed in TP. Thermosensitivity (ΔT es vs ΔLSR) was also similar, except for LP demonstrating lower thermosensitivity than AB at the upper back (0.78 ± 0.26 vs 1.59 ± 0.89 mg·cm−2·min−1, P = 0.039). Change in skin temperature was greatest in denervated regions, most notably at the calf in all SCI groups (TP, 2.07°C ± 0.93°C; HP, 2.73°C ± 0.68°C; LP, 2.92°C ± 1.48°C). Conclusion This study is the first to show the relationship between ΔT es and SCI level in athletes with paraplegia after removing variability arising from differences in metabolic heat production and mass. Individual variability in ΔT es is further reduced among athletes with TP because of minimal evaporative heat loss secondary to an absence of sweating.

Objective: To investigate the physiological and perceptual effects of three precooling strategies during preexercise rest in athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Randomized, counterbalanced. Participants were precooled, then rested for 60 minutes (22.7 ± 0.2°C, 64.2 ± 2.6%RH). Setting: National Wheelchair Basketball Training Centre, Australia. Participants: Sixteen wheelchair basketball athletes with a SCI. Interventions: Participants were precooled through; 1) 10 minutes of 15.8°C cold water immersion (CWI), 2) ingestion of 6.8 g/kg −1 of slushie (S) from sports drink; 3) ingestion of 6.8 g/kg −1 of slushie with application of iced towels to the legs, torso and back/arms (ST); or 4) ingestion of 6.8 g/kg −1 of room temperature (22.3°C) sports drink (CON). Outcome measures: Core temperature (T gi ), skin temperature (T sk ), heart rate (HR), and thermal and gastrointestinal comfort. Results: Following CWI, a significant reduction in T gi was observed compared to CON, with a greatest reduction of 1.58°C occurring 40 minutes post-cooling (95% CI [1.07, 2.10]). A significant reduction in T gi following ST compared to CON was also observed at 20 minutes (0.56°C; [0.03, 1.09]) and 30 minutes (0.56°C; [0.04, 1.09]) post-cooling. Additionally, a significant interaction between impairment level and time was observed for T gi and HR, demonstrating athletes with a higher level of impairment experienced a greater reduction in HR and significant decrease in rate of decline in T gi , compared to lesser impaired athletes. Conclusion: CWI and ST can effectively lower body temperature in athletes with a SCI, and may assist in tolerating warm conditions.

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