The Effects of Sleep Extension on Sleep, Performance, Immunity and Physical Stress in Rugby Players

Abstract

(1) Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the efficacy of sleep extension in professional rugby players. The aims were to: (i) characterise sleep quantity in elite rugby players and determine changes in immune function and stress hormone secretion during a pre-season training programme; (ii) evaluate the efficacy of a sleep extension intervention in improving sleep, markers of physical stress, immune function and performance. (2) Methods: Twenty five highly trained athletes from a professional rugby team (age (mean ± SD) 25 ± 2.7 years; height 1.87 ± 0.07 m; weight 105 ± 12.1 kg) participated in a six week pre-post control-trial intervention study. Variables of sleep, immune function, sympathetic nervous activity, physiological stress and reaction times were measured. (3) Results: Sleep extension resulted in a moderate improvement in sleep quality scores ([mean; ± 90% confidence limits] −24.8%; ± 54.1%) and small to moderate increases in total sleep time (6.3%; ± 6.3%) and time in bed (7.3%; ± 3.6%). In addition, a small decrease in cortisol (−18.7%; ± 26.4%) and mean reaction times (−4.3%; ± 3.1%) was observed following the intervention, compared to the control. (4) Conclusions: Professional rugby players are at risk of poor sleep during pre-season training, with concomitant rises in physical stress. Implementing a sleep extension programme among professional athletes is recommended to improve sleep, with beneficial changes in stress hormone expression and reaction time performance.

Benefits of Thalassotherapy with Sleep Management on Mood States and Well-being, and Cognitive and Physical Capacities in Healthy Workers

“…The daily cares combined with sleep management improved the cognitive capacity assessed through sustained attention as number of lapses were significantly lower at T2, T3 and T4 (compared to T0 and T1), and remained lower after week-end at home (T5) and after three days of consecutive work (T6). Adding night-time sleep opportunity (sleep intervention) was previously shown effective in improving alertness and performance in sustained attention using the PVT test in short sleeper workers [19,35]. Our results are the first to show that hydrotherapy cares have a beneficial effect on the sustained attention the very next day, which persisted the week after leaving the resort, while the TST returned to the baseline level.…”

“…This chronic sleep debt and repeated sleep/wake cycle disturbances induced behavioral changes (diurnal sleepiness, anxiety, fatigue) and impairments of cognitive and physical capacities (decreases of sustained attention and physical capacity, increase of mistakes, fatigue, pain, etc) [17,18]. Implementing a sleep extension programme was recently shown to improve sleep and sustained attention with beneficial changes in stress hormone expression among professional athletes [19].…”

From pillow to podium: a review on understanding sleep for elite athletes

“…A decrease in sleep efficiency was strongly associated with an increase in hyperarousal scores ( r =−0.611). Furthermore, a study by Swinburne et al 47 examined the effect of a sleep extension period on sleep, performance, immunity, and stress in rugby players. Results indicated improved sleep indices, and beneficial changes in cortisol expression and reaction time performance.…”

Sleep Quality and Chronotype Differences between Elite Athletes and Non-Athlete Controls

“…Sleep sufficiency depends on components of quality, quantity, and timing of the sleep window [9]. Research has shown benefits of optimized sleep for athletic performance [10][11][12]. Even so, knowledge regarding the sleep behaviors of athletes is limited [13,14].…”