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Life
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Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise
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Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 15427

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Cristoph Netzer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sport Science, Universität Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: sleep disorders; sleep, memory and learning; EEG signal processing; clinical neurophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Stephan Pramsohler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hermann Buhl Institute for Hypoxia and Sleep Medicine, University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: exercise; hypoxia; sleep; fat metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-performance sport requires maximum physical energy exertion, attention, concentration and cognitive function. Healthy, refreshing sleep and recovery are indispensable requirements for a successful performance in any sporting situation. Disturbed sleep as a result of sleep disorders can lead to disappointing results for athletes. Many studies of the last two decades—as a result of sleep in competitive sport becoming a popular research topic in sport medicine and sport research—have shown that many athletes have sleep problems or suffer from sleep disorders, especially as a result of the pressure of competition or qualification for events. Of course, not only the additional burden of competition, but also the regular distribution of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless legs, insomnia and chronic fatigue in athletes of all ages can constrict their performance. Furthermore, sport-specific intrinsic reasons such as travel to competitions around the globe in different time zones, unaccustomed sleep environments, competitions and training at high altitude, etc. can lead to non-refreshing sleep for athletes.

On the contrary, sport can also function as an instrument in the treatment of the sleep disorders of non-professional athletes, and certain sleep regimens for athletes and behavioral consequences can improve sleep and performance in professional athletes. This Special Issue of the journal Life presents varied discussions on these aspects of sleep and sleep disorders in sport, and offers an overview of the actual status of research relating to sleep, sleep disorders and sport to interested coaches, physicians and scientists.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Cristoph Netzer
Dr. Stephan Pramsohler
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sleep
  • sport
  • performance
  • physical exercise
  • sleep disorders
  • sleep regimens
  • fractured sleep
  • sleep at altitude
  • sleep medications

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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22 pages, 2376 KiB  
Article
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Brain Age and Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Single-Arm Pilot Clinical Trial
by An Ouyang, Can Zhang, Noor Adra, Ryan A. Tesh, Haoqi Sun, Dan Lei, Jin Jing, Peng Fan, Luis Paixao, Wolfgang Ganglberger, Logan Briggs, Joel Salinas, Matthew B. Bevers, Christiane Dorothea Wrann, Zeina Chemali, Gregory Fricchione, Robert J. Thomas, Jonathan Rosand, Rudolph E. Tanzi and Michael Brandon Westover
Life 2024, 14(7), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14070855 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 3353
Abstract
Backgrounds: Sleep disturbances are prevalent among elderly individuals. While polysomnography (PSG) serves as the gold standard for sleep monitoring, its extensive setup and data analysis procedures impose significant costs and time constraints, thereby restricting the long-term application within the general public. Our laboratory [...] Read more.
Backgrounds: Sleep disturbances are prevalent among elderly individuals. While polysomnography (PSG) serves as the gold standard for sleep monitoring, its extensive setup and data analysis procedures impose significant costs and time constraints, thereby restricting the long-term application within the general public. Our laboratory introduced an innovative biomarker, utilizing artificial intelligence algorithms applied to PSG data to estimate brain age (BA), a metric validated in cohorts with cognitive impairments. Nevertheless, the potential of exercise, which has been a recognized means of enhancing sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults to reduce BA, remains undetermined. Methods: We conducted an exploratory study to evaluate whether 12 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise can improve cognitive function, sleep quality, and the brain age index (BAI), a biomarker computed from overnight sleep electroencephalogram (EEG), in physically inactive middle-aged and older adults. Home wearable devices were used to monitor heart rate and overnight sleep EEG over this period. The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery, in-lab overnight polysomnography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and a multiplex cytokines assay were employed to compare pre- and post-exercise brain health, exercise capacity, and plasma proteins. Results: In total, 26 participants completed the initial assessment and exercise program, and 24 completed all procedures. Data are presented as mean [lower 95% CI of mean, upper 95% CI of mean]. Participants significantly increased maximal oxygen consumption (Pre: 21.11 [18.98, 23.23], Post 22.39 [20.09, 24.68], mL/kg/min; effect size: −0.33) and decreased resting heart rate (Pre: 66.66 [63.62, 67.38], Post: 65.13 [64.25, 66.93], bpm; effect size: −0.02) and sleeping heart rate (Pre: 64.55 [61.87, 667.23], Post: 62.93 [60.78, 65.09], bpm; effect size: −0.15). Total cognitive performance (Pre: 111.1 [107.6, 114.6], Post: 115.2 [111.9, 118.5]; effect size: 0.49) was significantly improved. No significant differences were seen in BAI or measures of sleep macro- and micro-architecture. Plasma IL-4 (Pre: 0.24 [0.18, 0.3], Post: 0.33 [0.24, 0.42], pg/mL; effect size: 0.49) was elevated, while IL-8 (Pre: 5.5 [4.45, 6.55], Post: 4.3 [3.66, 5], pg/mL; effect size: −0.57) was reduced. Conclusions: Cognitive function was improved by a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise program in physically inactive middle-aged and older adults, as were aerobic fitness (VO2max) and plasma cytokine profiles. However, we found no measurable effects on sleep architecture or BAI. It remains to be seen whether a study with a larger sample size and more intensive or more prolonged exercise exposure can demonstrate a beneficial effect on sleep quality and brain age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
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13 pages, 613 KiB  
Article
Sleep Difficulties in Swiss Elite Athletes
by Albrecht P. A. Vorster, Daniel Erlacher, Daniel Birrer and Philipp Röthlin
Life 2024, 14(6), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14060779 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1460
Abstract
For athletes, sleep is essential for recovery and performance. Yet, up to two-thirds of athletes report poor sleep quality. Comprehensive data across all sports disciplines on the underlying causes of sleep problems are missing. We reanalyzed a data set of N = 1004 [...] Read more.
For athletes, sleep is essential for recovery and performance. Yet, up to two-thirds of athletes report poor sleep quality. Comprehensive data across all sports disciplines on the underlying causes of sleep problems are missing. We reanalyzed a data set of N = 1004 Swiss top athletes across an extensive array of 88 sports to gain knowledge on the specific deficits in sleep health with respect to gender, sport classes, sport-related factors, and well-being. We found that 18% of athletes were affected by at least two out of five high-risk sleep factors: 9% of athletes slept less than 6 h per day, 30% were dissatisfied with their sleep, 17% showed problems falling asleep within 30 min, 18% of athletes reported difficulty maintaining sleep more than three times a week, and 6% of athletes used sleeping pills more than once a week. We found sleep health strongly linked to overall well-being and mental health (22% showed at least moderate symptoms of either depression or anxiety). Therefore, screening and treating sleep disorders might effectively improve mental health and general well-being as well as performance among athletes around the globe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
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10 pages, 234 KiB  
Article
Changing Sleep Architecture through Motor Learning: Influences of a Trampoline Session on REM Sleep Parameters
by Daniel Erlacher, Daniel Schmid, Stephan Zahno and Michael Schredl
Life 2024, 14(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020203 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1210
Abstract
Previous research has shown that learning procedural tasks enhances REM sleep the following night. Here, we investigate whether complex motor learning affects sleep architecture. An experiment in which twenty-two subjects either learned a motor task (trampolining) or engaged in a control task (ergometer) [...] Read more.
Previous research has shown that learning procedural tasks enhances REM sleep the following night. Here, we investigate whether complex motor learning affects sleep architecture. An experiment in which twenty-two subjects either learned a motor task (trampolining) or engaged in a control task (ergometer) was carried out in a balanced within-group design. After an initial laboratory adaptation night, two experimental nights were consecutive. The results indicate that learning a motor task had an effect on REM sleep parameters and, therefore, support the hypothesis that learning a procedural skill is related to an increase in REM sleep parameters. However, the statistical effect on REM sleep is smaller than found in previous studies. One might speculate that the motor learning was not intense enough compared to other studies. For sports practice, the results suggest that REM sleep, which is particularly rich in the morning, plays an important role in motor memory consolidation. Thus, this phase should not be interrupted after complex motor skill learning sessions. In future studies, other motor tasks should be applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
20 pages, 2963 KiB  
Article
Soccer, Sleep, Repeat: Effects of Training Characteristics on Sleep Quantity and Sleep Architecture
by Patricia Frytz, Dominik P. J. Heib and Kerstin Hoedlmoser
Life 2023, 13(8), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081679 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2737
Abstract
Due to the high demands of competitive sports, the sleep architecture of adolescent athletes may be influenced by their regular training. To date, there is no clear evidence on how training characteristics (intensity, time of day, number of sessions) influence sleep quality and [...] Read more.
Due to the high demands of competitive sports, the sleep architecture of adolescent athletes may be influenced by their regular training. To date, there is no clear evidence on how training characteristics (intensity, time of day, number of sessions) influence sleep quality and quantity. 53 male soccer players (M = 14.36 years, SD = 0.55) of Austrian U15 (n = 45) and U16 elite teams (n = 8) were tested on at least three consecutive days following their habitual training schedules. Participants completed daily sleep protocols (7 a.m., 8 p.m.) and questionnaires assessing sleep quality (PSQI), chronotype (D-MEQ), competition anxiety (WAI-T), and stress/recovery (RESTQ). Electrocardiography (ECG) and actigraphy devices measured sleep. Using sleep protocols and an ECG-based multi-resolution convolutional neural network (MCNN), we found that higher training intensity leads to more wake time, that later training causes longer sleep duration, and that one training session per day was most advantageous for sleep quality. In addition, somatic complaints assessed by the WAI-T negatively affected adolescent athletes’ sleep. Individual training loads and longer recovery times after late training sessions during the day should be considered in training schedules, especially for adolescent athletes. MCNN modeling based on ECG data seems promising for efficient sleep analysis in athletes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
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11 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Napping on Wakefulness and Endurance Performance in Athletes: A Randomized Crossover Study
by Felix Willmer, Claire Reuter, Stephan Pramsohler, Martin Faulhaber, Anja Burkhardt and Nikolaus Netzer
Life 2023, 13(6), 1414; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061414 - 19 Jun 2023
Viewed by 3464
Abstract
Background: Athletes often experience poor sleep quality due to stress, altitude exposure, travel across different time zones, and pre-competition nervousness. Coaches use daytime naps to counteract the negative effects of fragmented nighttime sleep. Napping before competitions has also been used to enhance performance [...] Read more.
Background: Athletes often experience poor sleep quality due to stress, altitude exposure, travel across different time zones, and pre-competition nervousness. Coaches use daytime naps to counteract the negative effects of fragmented nighttime sleep. Napping before competitions has also been used to enhance performance in athletes without sleep problems, with mixed results in previous studies, particularly for endurance performance. Thus, we investigated the effects of napping after partial sleep deprivation (PSD) on endurance performance and wakefulness in athletes. Methods: We recruited 12 healthy and trained participants (seven female and five male) for a randomized crossover study design. The participants underwent two test sessions: a five-hour night of sleep without a nap (noNap) and a five-hour night of sleep with a 30-min nap opportunity (Nap30). Participants recorded their sleep-wake rhythm one week before and during the study using the Consensus Sleep Diary-Core and the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire to examine their circadian rhythm type. We quantified PSD and the nap with pupillography (pupil unrest index, PUI), a subjective level of sleepiness questionnaire (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, KSS), and polysomnography. After each night, participants performed a maximal cycling ergometry test to determine time to exhaustion (TTE) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max). Results: Participants had an average sleep duration of 7.2 ± 0.7 h and were identified as moderately morning types (n = 5), neither type (n = 5), and moderately evening types (n = 2). There was a significant difference in both sleepiness parameters between the two conditions, with the PUI (p = 0.015) and KSS (p ≤ 0.01) significantly decreased at 5 h and nap compared with only 5 h of sleep. The PUI (p ≤ 0.01) and KSS (p ≤ 0.01) decreased significantly from before to after the nap. However, there was no significant difference in physical exercise test results between the conditions for TTE (p = 0.367) or VO 2max (p = 0.308). Conclusions: Our results suggest that napping after light PSD does not significantly influence endurance performance. We conclude that aerobic performance is a multidimensional construct, and napping after PSD may not enhance it. However, napping is an effective method to increase wakefulness and vigilance, which can be beneficial for sports competitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
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16 pages, 1938 KiB  
Protocol
Use of Ultrasound to Verify the Impact of Telemedicine Myofunctional Therapy on Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Study Protocol Proposal
by Cristina Rodriguez Alcala, Laura Rodriguez Alcala, Jose Maria Ignacio Garcia, Guillermo Plaza, Peter Baptista, Guillermina Lujan, Paula Mazzei, Juan Antonio Ibañez-Rodriguez and Carlos O’Connor-Reina
Life 2024, 14(2), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020197 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2093
Abstract
The anatomy of the upper airways influences the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The size of soft tissue structures, such as the tongue, soft palate, and lateral walls of the pharynx, contributes to the pathogenesis of OSA. New lines of treatment for [...] Read more.
The anatomy of the upper airways influences the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The size of soft tissue structures, such as the tongue, soft palate, and lateral walls of the pharynx, contributes to the pathogenesis of OSA. New lines of treatment for sleep apnea, such as myofunctional therapy (MT), aim to strengthen the oropharyngeal musculature to improve the defining parameters of apnea. The present protocol uses ultrasound imaging to measure the size of the lingual musculature non-invasively and cost-effectively and evaluates the changes in its morphology. Eligible patients include those with OSA who have undergone submental cervical ultrasound and drug-induced sleep endoscopy before starting MT with the AirwayGym app. Follow-up evaluations are conducted at 3 months after beginning treatment. Patients diagnosed with OSA via questionnaires and polysomnography or respiratory polygraphy are evaluated anatomically and functionally using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, a tongue digital spoon, somnoscopy, and submental cervical ultrasound to assess their responses to the AirwayGym app. The lingual thickness (mm) and volume (cm3) and the distance between both lingual arteries (mm) are measured. The AirwayGym app helps users and therapists monitor the patient performance of MT. Incorporating submental ultrasound can be a useful non-invasive tool to evaluate OSA and MT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise)
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