Sleep: The Greatest Legal Performance Enhancing Drug!
It’s widely recognized that sleep impacts every aspect of our health and well-being, including our physical, cognitive, and mental health but only relatively recently has there been more research focusing on the impact that sleep has on elite athletes, specifically in regards to performance and recovery.
Sleep has historically and culturally been seen as a cost in our lives, an unproductive use of our time, but increasingly, professional sports organizations are viewing sleep as one of the very best investments an athlete and a team can make. Some of the greatest athletes - Lebron James, Tom Brady, Lewis Hanilton, Cristiano Rinaldo, Shohai Othani - talk about how sleep is a fundamental, if not the most important thing in regards to their performance and recovery. It's increasingly being recognized as another strategy alongside training and conditioning, nutrition, hydration, mindset coaching that athletes can use to give them that extra competitive edge and keep you in the game longer.
How does sleep boost athletic performance?
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Sleep is linked to increased energy, training capacity and endurance levels; improved strength and increased muscle mass; faster reflex and reaction times. Sleep is connected to and influences the systems that balance metabolism, appetite, weight and heart function. It is during deep sleep when your heart rate and blood pressure slow down and these changes in heart rate and breathing at this time promote cardio and vascular health.
The most important time for healing, for boosting immunity, for tissue repair and muscle recovery is during the night, when the bulk of growth hormone gets released. Lack of sleep is one of the strongest predictors of injuries in athletes - it’s known that when athletes sleep extend their sleep, the risk of injury reduces and they also report a reduction in pain perception.
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During sleep, your brain acts as a waste management system, eliminating toxins that have built up from the day, which allows you to wake up with a clear mind and consolidate memory and learning - that can include assimilating new skills or techniques you may have learned that day so they become an intuitive part of your sports performance. Sleep optimizes concentration and judgment, important for players and coaching staff. It helps you to be more attentive, productive and efficient with your time and it helps you think more creatively and with clarity, leading to better decision-making and insights.
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Sleep reduces the chemicals that are associated with stress, things like cortisol levels, adrenaline - as a result it lowers anxiety levels, improves mood and mindset. Being mentally resilient and balanced is key for performance and working as part of a team. When people are sleep-deprived, there is an increased activation of the amygdala, which is connected to that fight or flight system of the brain, causing people to react more emotionally to negative stimuli. This can manifest as sudden emotional outbursts at teammates, officials, coaches and opponents, which may negatively impact the flow of competition.
Case Studies:
There have been some interesting studies linking sleep to athletic performance and longevity:
Cherie Mah et al measured The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players. Sleep was extended by an average of 110 minutes per night for 5-7 weeks and the results showed that shooting accuracy increased by almost 9%, timed sprints were faster, and subjects reported improved overall ratings of physical and mental well-being during practices and games.
Another study found a significant and profound relationship between the sleepiness of a Major League Baseball player and his longevity in the league. Players self-reported scores of sleepiness and those with higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (15+) only had a 14% chance of remaining in the MLB three seasons later vs those with a lower scale (5-) - 72% remained.
The overall message of the research out there indicates that optimal sleep is beneficial in reaching peak athletic performance and we’re only scratching the surface right now in terms of studies linking these two things.
Challenges in Elite Athletics
Depending on the sport, each athlete faces unique challenges and demands that may lead to sleep deprivation, poor quality sleep or daytime fatigue. Early or late competitions and practices, intense travel schedules that may encompass jet lag, the stress and pressure of performance, family, social and media/work/study obligations, pain and injury…it’s no wonder that this demographic is especially vulnerable to sleep disturbances.
Notwithstanding the unique demands placed on elite athletes and staff, there are still ways to improve sleep. It just means a more flexible approach may be required. There are still modifiable factors that can be addressed and you can still move the dial towards healthier sleep promoting protocols within the constraints that are present in professional sport.
Athlete-Specific Sleep Tips:
Set aside 7-9 hours of sleep per night; if this is difficult, build in strategic naps of 20-30 min or 90 min, ideally in the mid afternoon
Keep consistent bedtimes and wake times
When travelling to a new destination in a different time zone, set your watch to your arrival destination’s time on the plane and try and eat, sleep, move and manage your light exposure on that schedule
Get bright light first thing in AM and limit bright light exposure in the hours before bed
Implement a consistent, nightly wind down routine that incorporates stress reduction which can be followed at home and on the road
Cool your body down and eat something after a late night competition
Optimize your sleep environment and take a “sleep kit” with you when you’re away from home (eg. earplugs, eyeshades, pillow from home, etc)
I always tell my athletes that sleep can be your superpower. It can be a really low cost intervention in terms of time and effort that has the potential to make a big difference to the whole team’s performance, recovery, training capacity, strategic thinking and mental health.
