Influence of Body Composition on Sleep in People Who Exercise

Abstract

Study objective: Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between sleep duration and body mass index. Respiratory sleep problems are also correlated with abdominal adiposity and fat mass indicators. We analyzed if body fat has influence on sleep duration and quality, according to percentiles, gender and exercise. Methods: An observational, descriptive, retrospective study with 264 subjects from different sports clubs and gyms in the Community of Madrid was conducted. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, BMI, body fat %, fat free mass, waist circumference, basal metabolic rate) and a questionnaire, including medical history, eating habits, sleep and exercise items, were taken. Different percentiles for body fat % were calculated according to gender and age. Participants were classified into three groups: percentile<45, between 45-55 and percentile>55. Data analysis was performed with SPSS® 20 software. Quantitative variables were presented as mean±standard-deviation; qualitative variables as absolute frequencies and percentages. Results: Men and women slept the same number of hours and had similar body fat % percentiles. No relationship between body fat and sleep quality was found. Subjects with percentile >55 had longer sleep duration than percentile <45 and 45-55. Conclusion: Body composition influences on sleep, being worse in individuals with obesity and better in individuals who exercise.

The Effect of Strength Training on Quality of Sleep and Psychomotor Performance in Elderly Males

“…As shown in result section, there was also a decrease in WHR, PBF of exercise group after training intervention. This can be a logical reason for sleep improvement in experimental group as Taheri et.al (2017), Martin er al (2016) reported that fat mass decline especially internally is positively associated in better sleep quality (Martín et al, 2016;Taheri & Irandoust, 2017). In other words, decreasing the visceral fat of subjects can be effective in improvement of sleep indexes and consequently betterment of attention in the investigated subjects.…”

The Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Improves Self-Reported Quality of Sleep in Obese Elderly Women with Sleep Disorders

“…On the other hand, a growing body of research suggests that there's a link between how much people sleep and how much they weigh (Beccuti & Pannain, 2011, Olivieri & de Dios, 2007. The sleep process not only affects the physical and physiological functions (Morteza Taheri & Arabameri, 2012), but also have a direct influence on cognitive performance capabilities (Morales, Lozano, & Casal, 2005) and is also effective in good quality of life (Martín & Gudalewska, 2016). There are some evidences suggesting the relationship between quality of sleep and body composition.…”