Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.7
3.2
Journals
Life
Special Issues
Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Sports and Advanced Physical Exercise
share announcement

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 6908

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
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 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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

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 726
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 - 02 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1834
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

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 2168
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

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 1357
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop