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Overview
This lesson discusses the impact of sleep on athletic performance, highlighting both the negative consequences of poor sleep and the positive benefits of quality sleep.
Learning Objectives
Understand how poor sleep can negatively impact athletic performance, including:
Recognize the positive effects of improved sleep on athletic performance, based on studies showing:
Learn the importance of sleep consistency, not just the total number of hours slept.
Summary - How Sleep Affects Performance
This lesson explores the impact of sleep on athletic performance in young athletes.
Negative Effects of Poor Sleep:
Increased Physical Demand:
Poor sleep makes it harder to perform at the same physical level.
Athletes may experience early fatigue and require more exertion to maintain output.
Impaired Mental Performance:
Sleep deprivation can negatively affect focus, decision-making, and reaction time.
Negative effects can be particularly detrimental during crucial moments in competition.
Anxiety:
Poor sleep can worsen anxiety, further hindering performance.
Reduced Muscle Recovery:
Sleep is essential for muscle protein synthesis and growth.
Insufficient sleep can slow down muscle repair and recovery, hindering athletic progress.
Hormonal Disruption:
Poor sleep can disrupt hormone levels, including growth hormone,
Important for muscle development and repair.
Positive Effects of Improved Sleep:
Studies have shown that improving sleep can significantly benefit athletic performance:
Enhanced Shooting and Speed (Basketball): A study found that increased sleep duration led to improved 3-point shooting percentage, free throw percentage, and sprint times in basketball players.
Better Serving Accuracy (Tennis): Another study showed that improved sleep consistency resulted in increased serving accuracy in tennis athletes.
Overall Performance Improvement (Soccer): Research on soccer players demonstrated that better sleep consistency led to improvements in 40-yard dash times, reaction time, and shooting accuracy.
Key Takeaways:
Both the total amount of sleep and sleep consistency are important for optimal athletic performance.
Even small improvements in sleep can lead to significant performance gains.
Prioritizing good sleep hygiene is crucial for young athletes to reach their full potential.
Citations:
Mah CD, Mah KE, Kezirian EJ, Dement WC. The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep. 2011 Jul 1;34(7):943-50. doi: 10.5665/SLEEP.1132. PMID: 21731144; PMCID: PMC3119836.
Schwartz J, Simon RD Jr. Sleep extension improves serving accuracy: A study with college varsity tennis players. Physiol Behav. 2015 Nov 1;151:541-4. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.035. Epub 2015 Sep 1. PMID: 26325012.
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