Sleep Habits, Nutrition Quality, And Burnout In Division 1 College Athletes

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate sleep habits, nutrition quality, and burnout among college student-athletes. METHODS: Collegiate athletes were recruited to complete two surveys a month apart assessing sleep habits, nutrition quality, stress, and burnout. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assessed subjective sleep reports among athletes. The Rapid Eating Assessment for Patients-Short Form (REAP-S) assessed diet quality. The Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) assessed burnout reports among athletes. One-way ANOVAs were examined differences between sleep, nutrition and burnout. Spearman’s correlations examined relationships between the independent and dependent variables of interest. Regression analyses determined if the variables of nutrition, burnout, and injury onset explained variance in sleep reports among athletes. All analyses were run in SAS v. 9.4. RESULTS: A total of 76 athletes participated in the study. Participants competed in baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, acrobatics and tumbling within a singular NCAA division 1 affiliated university. A negative correlation between improved PSQI scores and REAP-S scores was found within baseball athletes (r = -0.53, p = 0.004) and soccer athletes (r = -0.75, p = 0.005). The accomplishment scale of the ABQ was associated with increased sleep quality scores measured on the PSQI within the first month (b = 1.92, r = 0.04). 16.5% of the variance in month 1 sleep scores was explained by the variables entered into the regression model (r2 = 0.165). Decreased diet quality scores on the REAP-s were associated with decreased sleep scores in month 2 (b = -0.25, r = 0.01). 15% of the variance in month 2 sleep scores was explained by the variables enter the regression model (r2 = 0.150) CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that differences in sleep, nutrition quality, and burnout among various sports team exists. Additionally, reports of burnout and sleep quality revealed relationships with sleep reports in college athletes. Athletes reporting access to educational materials on sleep from their athletics department reported higher sleep quality.