Correlation of Aerobic Performance with Sleep Quality in Apparently Healthy Men and Women

Abstract

PURPOSE: Sleep quality is an integral component of human wellbeing and should complement a healthy lifestyle of physical fitness. We sought to determine if, or to what extent, good sleep quality affected aerobic performance. METHODS: Twenty-four apparently healthy subjects (14 men) were recruited into a clinical trial to evaluate the effects of Sleep Coaching on Optimizing Resistance and Endurance training (SCORE study). Here we examined the correlations from baseline assessments of aerobic performance in terms of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and the metabolic (lactate) threshold (VO2θ), and sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Flinders Fatigue Scale (FFS) and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). RESULTS: The subjects were aged 32.6 (4.1) years with body mass index (BMI) 23.7 (3.0) kg/m2, VO2max 3.34 (0.64) L/min, VO2θ 2.25 (0.40) L/min, maximum heart rate 181.7 (8.1)/min; mean (SD). VO2θ was 68.0 (7.0) % of VO2max. PSQI was 5.0 (2.8), ESS 5.8 (3.3), FFS 9.1 (5.4) and AIS 6.0 (3.6). The following correlations were observed:Table: No title available.CONCLUSION: In apparently healthy, younger to middle-aged adults, aerobic performance is consistently and strongly correlated with sleep quality. Although these findings do not establish a causal relationship, they imply that improving sleep quality will result in better physical fitness.