New research published in the journal Applied Sciences suggests that poor sleep may make runners nearly twice as likely to experience an injury compared to runners who get high-quality sleep.
The study included an analysis of survey data from 425 Dutch runners. In the survey, the runners were asked about sleep factors such as sleep duration, sleep quality, and frequency of sleep problems. Based on their answers, participants were grouped into one of four sleep profiles: steady sleepers, poor sleepers, efficient sleepers, and fragmented sleepers. The runners were also asked to self-report their sports-related injuries. Then, an analysis was conducted to see whether sleep profiles were correlated with the chances of experiencing a sports-related injury. Sleep quality has been tied to a wide variety of health metrics, including heart disease and obesity, and this study sought to determine whether sleep quality is also tied to the risk of injury for athletes.
The results showed that runners who were classified as poor sleepers had a significantly greater risk of experiencing an injury compared to those who were classified as steady sleepers. Poor sleepers reported shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, and/or more frequent sleep problems than steady sleepers. These individuals were 1.78 times more likely to report injuries and had a 68% chance of having an injury during a given 12-month period. These findings were significant even when controlling for demographics and training methods.
The authors of the study noted that sleep is an extremely important aspect of both physical and mental recovery for all people, especially athletes. Disrupted or low-quality sleep can negatively impact a variety of biological functions, including hormone regulation, tissue repair, and cognitive focus. Sleep is important for all people in maintaining a healthy heart, mind, and body, and it appears to be particularly important for athletes.
Sources: Applied Sciences, Science Daily
