Early Morning Training Research Articles

Sink or Swim? Sleep Patterns in Highly Trained Adolescent Swimmers during the In-Season Phase of Training

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the sleeping patterns of highly-trained adolescent swimmers. Further objectives were to compare subjective and objective measures of sleep and to evaluate the relationship between electronic device use and sleep in this cohort. Methods Fifteen national-level swimmers (age: 16.4 ± 1.0 years) wore wrist actigraphs while completing sleep diaries over a two-week training period. Types of nights were classified as early morning training (≤7am - EARLY), day training (>7am - DAY), and no training (REST). Information on electronic device use before bed and other sleep behaviors was collected via questionnaires. Results Total sleep time (TST) was significantly (p < 0.05) shorter on nights preceding EARLY (5:53 ± 1:06 hour:min) compared with nights preceding DAY (7:40 ± 1:12 hour:min) and REST (7:59 ± 1:19 hour:min). Participants overestimated subjective TST by ∼54 minutes when compared with objectively measured TST (p < 0.05). Discussion Adolescent athletes obtained a greater amount of sleep prior to later training the next day or before rest days, when compared with early morning swim training the next day. Adolescents also overestimated their sleep duration by ∼1 hour per night. There were no significant relationships between electronic device use at night and measured sleep indices.

Sleep/wake behaviour of competitive adolescent athletes in New Zealand: insight into the impact of early morning training

ObjectiveSleep plays a crucial role in the health, wellbeing, and development of adolescent athletes' sporting and academic lives. This study aimed to monitor the sleep/wake behaviour of adolescent athletes who have frequent early morning training sessions. Methods13 swimmers (mean age 14.8 ± 1.4; 46% male) and 19 rowers (mean age 16.5 ± 1.1; all male) wore actigraphs and completed sleep diaries over a 2-week training period. Diaries included the Hooper Index and a question regarding device use before bed. Participants also completed chronotype questionnaires. Nights of the week were categorised as taking place before “morning training”, “mornings off”, “weekend mornings off”, and “weekend morning training”. Actigraphy and sleep diary variables were compared for different nights of the week. ResultsAll athletes were classified as “morning type”. Average sleep duration across the study was 7h55 (±1h33). Median sleep duration was significantly shorter on nights before weekday morning training (6h44) compared to weekday mornings off (8h45). This was due to an earlier wake time (04:51) while bedtime remained constant (∼22:15). Athletes went to bed later, woke later and slept for longer on nights before weekend mornings off compared to weekday nights. ConclusionsEarly morning training advanced the wake times of the athletes while bedtime remained constant. This shortened sleep below age recommended durations on the nights before early morning training during the week. These findings suggest that weekly average sleep duration does not accurately reflect athletes' nightly sleep given the large variability across a training week.

Early Morning Training Impacts Previous Night’s Sleep in NCAA Division I Cross Country Runners

The effects of training time on sleep has been previously studied; however, the influence on sleep in female collegiate cross-country runners is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of training time on self-reported sleep metrics. Eleven female collegiate cross-country runners (mean [M] age = 19 years, standard deviation [SD] age = 1 year; M [SD] body mass = 58.8 [9.6] kg; M [SD] height = 168.4 [7.7] cm; M [SD] VO2max = 53.6 [5.6] mL·kg−1·min−1) competing in the 2016 NCAA cross-country season were included in this study. Participants completed a sleep diary daily to assess perceived measures of sleep on days when training took place between the hours of 5:00–8:00 a.m. (AM), and when training did not take place during this time (NAM). Sleep quality questions utilized a 5-point Likert scale, in which a score of 1 is associated with the worst outcomes and a score of 5 is associated with the best outcomes. Sleep duration was significantly higher on NAM (M [SD] = 8.26 [1.43] h) compared to AM (M [SD] = 7.97 [1.09] h, p < .001). Sleep quality was significantly higher on NAM (M [SD] = 3.30 [1.01]) compared to AM (M [SD] = 3.02 [1.06], p < .001). The impairment of sleep quantity and quality the night prior to early morning training suggests that future considerations should be made to sleep schedules and/or training times to optimize perceived sleep quality.

Sleep Patterns and Alertness in an Elite Super Rugby Team During a Game Week.

Sleep is a vital component of preparation, performance and recovery for a Super Rugby game. The purpose of this study was to quantify sleep behaviours and alertness of professional rugby union players during training and a game. Thirty-six rugby union players from a Super Rugby team wore a wrist-activity device (Readiband™) to measure sleep for 3 days before, 3 days after and on the night of an evening game. Players were separated into those selected to play the game (n = 23) and those who were not (n = 13). Alertness was assessed for all training and game times using bio-mathematical modelling. Alertness measures ≤90% were considered to reflect impaired reaction time. Those selected to play in the game progressively increased sleep duration over the nights prior to the game (by 92 min p ≤ 0.05) by delaying wake time. Players went to bed later after the game (02:20 ± 114 min vs 22:57 ± 60 min; p ≤ 0.001) which resulted in decreased sleep duration on game night compared to pre-game nights (296 ± 179 min vs 459 ± 78 min; p ≤ 0.05). Four players did not achieve any sleep on game night. Sleep duration appeared to be truncated by early morning training sessions (before 08:00) on the second and third mornings after the game. Alertness was >90% for all training and game times for all players. In conclusion, in the days leading into a Super Rugby game, players delay morning time at wake and consequently increase sleep duration with post-game sleep reduced in some.

Olympic Distance Amateur Triathlete Chronotype Profile

It seems that the athletes tend to select and pursue sports that suited their chronotype. Elite triathletes show to comprise high proportions of morning-types (MTs), differently from general population. Possibly the early morning training sections, characteristics in this sport modality, favors athletes presenting morning types profile. There are no data about amateur triathletes chronotype, but probably there are also a high percentage of morning type, mainly because the training sessions occur even earlier, once amateurs need to work after the training. As the training sessions occur early in the morning, it is possible for morning-type athletes are able to develop higher intensity trainings and thus having better physiological adaptations. However, there are no data about chronotypes and physiological profile. PURPOSE: Characterize the chronotype profile in a group of triathlon amateur competitors who participate in the Olympic distance triathlon race. Verify if there are association between chronotype profile and physical fitness in amateur triathletes. METHODS: Thirty-nine men and six women who had subscribed to compete in the sixth stage of the 26thBrazil Triathlon Trophy (26o Troféu Brasil de Triathlon) in the Olympic distance participated in this cross-sectional observational study. Participants were evaluated for anthropometric characteristics (body mass, height, and body composition through [DXA]), aerobic physical fitness (maximum oxygen consumption [V ̇O2max], anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point, maximum aerobic velocity [MAV] and running economy [RE]). Chronotype profile was evaluated using Horne-Ostberg morning-eveningness questionnaire. RESULTS: According to the chronotype questionnaire 66.7% of the volunteers (69.2% men and 50.0% women were classified as morning profiles (22.2% definite morning and 44.4% as moderate morning) and only 6.7% were classified as evening profiles. There were no significant correlations between chronotype profiles and the physical fitness variables. CONCLUSIONS: Amateur triathletes show to comprise high proportions of morning-types, but the physiological profile is similar between the different existing chronotypes.

Do players and staff sleep more during the pre- or competitive season of elite rugby league?

This study establishes the sleep behaviour of players and staff during the pre- and competitive seasons of elite rugby league. For seven days during both the pre- and competitive seasons, seven rugby league players and nine full-time staff from one professional Australian rugby league club had their sleep monitored via wrist actigraphy and self-report sleep diaries. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance determined differences between the pre- and competitive season in players and staff, with effect sizes (ES) used to interpret the practical magnitude of differences. Findings show an earlier bed time and wake time for players (−34 min, ES = 1.5; ±0.5 and −39 min, 2.1; ±0.5 respectively) and staff (−29 min, ES = 0.8; ±0.3 and −35 min, ES = 1.7; ±0.4 respectively) during pre-season when compared to the competitive season. Despite this, no differences were seen when considering the amount of time in bed, sleep duration or sleep efficiency obtained between the pre- and competitive seasons. Our results suggest that early morning training sessions scheduled during pre-season advances wake time in elite rugby league. However, both players and staff can aim to avoid reductions in sleep duration and sleep efficiency with subsequent adjustment of night time sleep patterns. This may be particularly pertinent for staff, who wake earlier than players during both the pre- and competitive seasons.

Ramadan and Sport: Minimizing Effects Upon the Observant Athlete

The intermittent fasting of Ramadan could affect various aspects of body physiology and biochemistry important to athletic success. Much of the available information on this subject has been collected from sedentary subjects or low-level competitors, often without well matched controls. Other issues requiring clearer definition include the duration of fasting, the local environment, the timing of observations, and changes in training, diet and sleep patterns. Sleep may be shortened or made good with daytime naps. Circadian rhythms of temperature, metabolism, hormonal secretions and physical performance may be disrupted and incidental activities curtailed. Disturbances of psychomotor performance include daytime sleepiness, impaired vigilance and slower reactions. Food intake is limited to night-time meals. Sedentary individuals sometimes exploit Ramadan to reduce body fat stores. Well disciplined athletes usually maintain energy balance unless daily energy expenditures are very high. Protein intake must allow for gluconeogenesis, and provide quality protein ingested around training times. Blood sugar levels are likely to fall over a long and active day, even if morning glycogen reserves are maximized. Metabolism of fat should be encouraged, beginning prior to Ramadan; inclusion of fat in the pre-dawn meal also slows gastric emptying. Daytime fluid depletion is inevitable if athletes exercise in the heat, but the immediate deficit can usually be made good at night. Some studies show an initial fluid depletion, with recovery as Ramadan continues, possibly reflecting changes in urine and sweat production. Top athletes can maintain training throughout Ramadan, although coaches sometimes reduce demands through a pre-competitive tapering of effort. Late night or early morning training requires negotiation with players who are not observing Ramadan, and dietary adjustments to maintain optimal plasma amino acid levels when training. Performance of repeated anaerobic exercise is impaired, but aerobic power and muscular strength show little change during Ramadan. Ratings of fatigue are increased, and vigilance and reaction times are impaired, particularly during the afternoon. Medical issues during Ramadan are few. Athletes with diabetes mellitus should seek a medical exemption from fasting, and prescribed drug schedules should be carefully maintained. There is no major increase of injury rates, but competitors may have difficulty in producing urine for doping controls. Logical measures to minimize the effects of Ramadan include the optimization of mood state, maintenance of training, minimization of sleep loss, appropriate adjustments of diet, and the monitoring of competitors for chronic dehydration. Future research should concentrate on the changes observed in top athletes, particularly women, with data collected in the late afternoon after a known period of fasting in a well defined environment. It will be important to ensure that the lifestyle of those studied has been optimized. Implications of chronic dehydration for doping control also merit further investigation. Current data suggest that the impact of Ramadan upon athletic performance is small relative to the precision of test procedures, although it may be sufficient to cause a loss of medals. Negative effects vary widely with the type of sport, the season when fasting is observed, the local culture and the discipline exercised by the athlete.