Sleep and Recovery in Team Sport: Current Sleep-Related Issues Facing Professional Team-Sport Athletes

Abstract

While the effects of sleep loss on performance have previously been reviewed, the effects of disturbed sleep on recovery after exercise are less reported. Specifically, the interaction between sleep and physiological and psychological recovery in team-sport athletes is not well understood. Accordingly, the aim of the current review was to examine the current evidence on the potential role sleep may play in postexercise recovery, with a tailored focus on professional team-sport athletes. Recent studies show that team-sport athletes are at high risk of poor sleep during and after competition. Although limited published data are available, these athletes also appear particularly susceptible to reductions in both sleep quality and sleep duration after night competition and periods of heavy training. However, studies examining the relationship between sleep and recovery in such situations are lacking. Indeed, further observational sleep studies in team-sport athletes are required to confirm these concerns. Naps, sleep extension, and sleep-hygiene practices appear advantageous to performance; however, future proof-of-concept studies are now required to determine the efficacy of these interventions on postexercise recovery. Moreover, more research is required to understand how sleep interacts with numerous recovery responses in team-sport environments. This is pertinent given the regularity with which these teams encounter challenging scenarios during the course of a season. Therefore, this review examines the factors that compromise sleep during a season and after competition and discusses strategies that may help improve sleep in team-sport athletes.

Tracking Morning Fatigue Status Across In-Season Training Weeks in Elite Soccer Players

“…Indeed DOMS, inflammation, nervous system activity and central excitation have all been reported as potential mechanisms of poor sleep following competition. 33 Interestingly, data from elite endurance athletes have frequently shown reductions in sleep quantity the night prior to competition. 34 Perceived ratings of sleep were not measured the night prior to matches in the present study and therefore a reduction may have occurred.…”

External training loads and smartphone-derived heart rate variability indicate readiness to train in elite soccer

“…Soccer is characterised by a variable and demanding fixture scheduling, whereby consecutive matches may be interspersed by only 2-3 days (Carling et al, 2015). Match-play and training can occur in environmental extremes of cold, hot and/or hypoxic climates Coull et al, 2015); with associated variable travel demands (Fullagar et al, 2015), these combine to increase the psychophysiological demands experienced by players across a season (i.e. "fatigue").…”

Importancia del sueño en el rendimiento y la salud del deportista

“…Es importante tener esto en cuenta, ya que como se ha comentado antes, los deportistas requieran un sueño adicional para permitir la adaptación a los factores de estrés provocados por el entrenamiento, y minimizar cualquier fatiga residual por el entrenamiento y la competición (Estivill-Domènech et al, 2018). De facto, un desequilibrio entre la vigilia y el sueño del deportista puede provocar un estado de fatiga que da lugar a una disminución del funcionamiento fisiológico y del rendimiento (Fullagar et al, 2015). Además, de lo anteriormente expuesto, un sueño adecuado es importante en la reducción del riesgo de lesiones y enfermedades en deportistas (Taylor, Chrismas, Dascombe, Chamari, & Fowler, 2016).…”