Relationshp Between Sleep Quality, Mood State, and Performance of Elite Air-Rifle Shooters

Abstract

Background To evaluate the impact of pre-competition sleep quality on the mood and performance of elite air-rifle shooters. Methods This study included 23 elite air-rifle shooters who participated in an air-rifle shooting-competition from April 2019 to October 2019. Sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, and wake-up time after sleep onset were monitored using actigraphy. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Profile of Mood State were used to assess sleep quality. Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 was used to evaluate mood state. Results The average time to fall asleep, sleep time, sleep efficiency, and subjective sleep quality were 20.6 ± 14.9 min, 7.0 ± 0.8 h, 85.9 ± 5.3%, and 5.2 ± 2.2, respectively. Sleep quality decreased as the competition progressed. Pre-competition sleep time in female athletes was significantly higher than that on the competition day (P = 0.05). Pre-competition sleep latency was significantly longer in women than in men (P = 0.021). During training and pre-competition, the tension, fatigue, depression, and emotional disturbance were significantly lower in athletes with good sleep quality than in athletes with poor sleep quality. Athletes with good sleep quality had significantly more energy. The PSQI total score was positively correlated with positive emotion, TMD, cognitive anxiety, and somatic anxiety POMS scores, and negatively correlated with energy and self-confidence scores. Race scores and depression and somatic anxiety scores were negatively correlated. Conclusion Poor sleep quality negatively impacted the mood of athletes; however, sleep indices and competition performance of athletes during competitions were not significantly correlated.