Recovery
BThe Impact of Sleep Interventions on Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review
Cunha LA, Costa JA, Marques EA, et al. · 2023 · Sports Medicine - Open
REZA evidence rating B: Reasonable confidence
Methodology
Systematic review
Population
25 studies (60% crossover, 8% RCT, 32% non-randomized); athletes
Intervention
Various sleep interventions (sleep extension, napping, sleep hygiene, chronotherapy)
Findings
Sleep interventions, particularly sleep extension and napping, showed positive effects on athletic performance. Sleep hygiene education alone was less effective. Sleep extension improved reaction time, accuracy and endurance performance; napping improved alertness and afternoon performance.
Outcome measures
Athletic performance, cognitive function, recovery markers
Limitations
Heterogeneity in intervention types; varying study designs; limited RCTs; small samples in many studies.
Original source
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-023-00599-z
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