Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players

Almendros-Ruiz, Antonio; Conde-Pipó, Javier; Aranda-Martínez, Paula; Olivares-Jabalera, Jesús; Acuña-Castroviejo, Darío; Requena, Bernardo; Fernández-Martínez, José; Mariscal-Arcas, Miguel

doi:10.3390/biom15050700

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players

by

Antonio Almendros-Ruiz

^1,2,†

,

Javier Conde-Pipó

^1,3,†

,

Paula Aranda-Martínez

⁴

,

Jesús Olivares-Jabalera

²

,

Darío Acuña-Castroviejo

^4,5

,

Bernardo Requena

²,

José Fernández-Martínez

^4,5,*

and

Miguel Mariscal-Arcas

^1,2,5,*

¹

Health Science and Nutrition Research (HSNR-CTS1118), Department of Nutrition and Food Science, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

²

FSI Lab, Football Science Institute, 18016 Granada, Spain

³

Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain

⁴

Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain

⁵

Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA), 18016 Granada, Spain

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Biomolecules 2025, 15(5), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050700

Submission received: 28 March 2025 / Revised: 7 May 2025 / Accepted: 8 May 2025 / Published: 11 May 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Melatonin in Normal Physiology and Disease, 2nd Edition)

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Abstract

Modern elite football is becoming increasingly physically demanding, often requiring training and matches to be played at night. This schedule may disrupt circadian rhythms and melatonin secretion, thereby impairing sleep and recovery. This study investigated the effects of training time on melatonin secretion, circadian phase markers, and sleep parameters in elite youth soccer players. Forty male players (aged 16–18 years) from an elite Spanish youth football club were studied. Two groups followed the same training program but trained either in the morning (MT) or in the evening (ET). Salivary melatonin was measured at six time points to determine the mean levels, dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), amplitude, and acrophase. Chronotype, sleep quality (PSQI), and daytime sleepiness (ESS) were assessed using validated questionnaires. Dietary intake and anthropometric variables were also recorded. The MT group had higher mean melatonin levels (p = 0.026) and earlier DLMO (p = 0.023) compared to the ET group. Sleep quality was significantly better in the MT group (p < 0.001), despite shorter sleep duration (p = 0.014). No major differences in diet or anthropometry were observed. The chronotype had a secondary effect on the circadian markers. Evening training is associated with alterations in melatonin rhythms and reduced sleep quality, possibly due to light-induced chronodisruption. These findings highlight the importance of training timing as a modifiable factor in the chronobiology and recovery of athletes. Incorporating circadian principles into training schedules may optimize resting time and thus performance and long-term health in athletes.

Keywords: circadian rhythm; melatonin; training time; football performance; sleep

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MDPI and ACS Style

Almendros-Ruiz, A.; Conde-Pipó, J.; Aranda-Martínez, P.; Olivares-Jabalera, J.; Acuña-Castroviejo, D.; Requena, B.; Fernández-Martínez, J.; Mariscal-Arcas, M. Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players. Biomolecules 2025, 15, 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050700

AMA Style

Almendros-Ruiz A, Conde-Pipó J, Aranda-Martínez P, Olivares-Jabalera J, Acuña-Castroviejo D, Requena B, Fernández-Martínez J, Mariscal-Arcas M. Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players. Biomolecules. 2025; 15(5):700. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050700

Chicago/Turabian Style

Almendros-Ruiz, Antonio, Javier Conde-Pipó, Paula Aranda-Martínez, Jesús Olivares-Jabalera, Darío Acuña-Castroviejo, Bernardo Requena, José Fernández-Martínez, and Miguel Mariscal-Arcas. 2025. "Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players" Biomolecules 15, no. 5: 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050700

APA Style

Almendros-Ruiz, A., Conde-Pipó, J., Aranda-Martínez, P., Olivares-Jabalera, J., Acuña-Castroviejo, D., Requena, B., Fernández-Martínez, J., & Mariscal-Arcas, M. (2025). Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players. Biomolecules, 15(5), 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15050700

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Melatonin Secretion and Impacts of Training and Match Schedules on Sleep Quality, Recovery, and Circadian Rhythms in Young Professional Football Players

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