Study note • PMID 29944513
The Impact of Sleep Duration on Performance Among Competitive Athletes: A Systematic Literature Review.
How to use this page
This note summarizes one study record. Check the participants, methods, results, and limitations before applying it to training.
- • Design signal: systematic review / meta-analysis.
- • Population relevance: athlete/trained context.
- • Consistency: synthesis evidence present.
- • Practical recommendation depends on tolerance, context, and whether it protects training consistency.
ELI5
In plain language
The athletic advantage of sleep, although commonly touted by coaches, trainers, and sports physicians, is still unclear and likely varies by sport, athletic performance metric, and length of sufficient… (systematic review / meta-analysis; athletes).
In this systematic review / meta-analysis, the abstract reports associations involving Sleep quality, Recovery speed (not necessarily causation). Treat this as a signal, not a guarantee; confirm methods and context in the full paper.
Takeaways
What the abstract suggests
- • Study question: The athletic advantage of sleep, although commonly touted by coaches, trainers, and sports physicians, is still unclear and likely varies by sport, athletic performance metric, and length of sufficient…
- • In this systematic review / meta-analysis, the abstract reports associations involving Sleep quality, Recovery speed (not necessarily causation).
- • Population: athletes.
- • Protocol cues: abstract may omit dose/timing; use the full paper to replicate accurately.
Protocol
Protocol (as reported)
- • Intervention/exposure: circadian.
- • Dose/time/duration: abstract doesn’t include enough detail; use the full paper’s methods section.
- • Outcomes: Sleep quality, Recovery speed.
- • Replication note: abstracts often omit adherence and timing; confirm details before changing training or supplementation.
Fit
Who it may help, and who should be cautious
Who it helps
- • Athletes similar to the study population (athletes) working on sleep.
- • Athletes who can measure Sleep quality, Recovery speed with a repeatable workout or time-trial effort.
Who should be cautious
- • If you have symptoms or conditions that make the intervention risky, get professional guidance.
- • If you’re near race day and can’t safely test, defer the experiment.
Methods
What the study actually did
- • Design: systematic review / meta-analysis.
- • Population: athletes.
- • Outcomes measured: Sleep quality, Recovery speed.
- • Source: PubMed PMID 29944513 (2020) — Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.
Results excerpt
What the abstract reports
“Taken holistically, we find that the sports requiring speed, tactical strategy, and technical skill are most sensitive to sleep duration manipulations.”
Note: excerpts are short; for full context, read the paper.
Limits
Limitations and bias
- • Abstract-only summaries can miss critical details (population, protocol, adherence, and context).
- • Reviews and consensus statements mix protocols and populations; recommendations may not match your exact constraints.
- • If your context differs (elite vs recreational; cycling vs running), adjust expectations and be conservative.
- • This is performance information, not medical advice.
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