Athletes Need Sleep
by: Kyle Kirshenbaum
The benefits of good sleep come into particular focus for athletes. Post-exercise recovery with extra sleep accelerates the building of muscle, strength, and endurance.
Research shows that athletic performance improves with sufficient sleep. Rested athletes are faster, more accurate, and have a quicker reaction time. Mild sleep deprivation does not negatively affect aerobic capacity, but it does affect reaction time.
The Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory has attempted to quantify the effect of sleep on athletic performance. A study of swimmers asked to sleep 10 hours a day for six to seven weeks found notable improvements. This involved forcing the athletes to sleep longer than most people do to see if extra sleep in athletes undergoing heavy training had a benefit. Swim times were faster, and reaction times and turn times in the water improved. Kick stroke count increased as well.
A similar regimen (10 hours of sleep per day during heavy training) for football players also produced improvements. Sprint times declined and mood as measured by the POMS (Profile of Mood States) test (an indicator of physiological stress) increased. In addition to the swimming and football athletes Stanford has studied athletes from basketball, track and field, tennis, golf, and cross country. The evidence, usually based on small sample sizes, suggests more sleep results in improved physical performance.
Through this research it is evident that sleep deprivation not only dull the senses, but also alter the mood of the sleep deprived individual. With a sufficient amount of sleep one’s mood it much more optimistic, and allows better performances. It is critical for a competitive athlete to acquire the correct amount of sleep depending on their sport, in order to perform at the top of their game. A well rested athlete makes for a top performance.