Important information about the effect of sleep on sport-specific performance measures during different athletic seasons is lacking. Therefore, objective sleep and performance measures in football players were examined during two seasons. This was done using a single group, repeated measures design at a university lab and athletics practice facility. Twenty-four healthy male football players (age=21.6±1.6years, weight=99.7±18.9kg, height=183.8±5.6cm) participated in the study.
Participants wore a wrist accelerometer, Actiwatch Score (AS), during 5 days in the off-season and the in-season, with the last recording being the night before a game. Sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time (TST) were calculated using wake-quiet activity from AS. All athletes also completed a self-report measures sleep diary before bedtime and upon awakening. Performance measures, including: reaction time test, handgrip strength, vertical jump, and the agility t-test, were recorded at the end of 5 days during the off-season and on the morning of game day during the in-season.
There was no significant change in SE between off-season and in-season (77.6±7.2% and 77.5±7.9%, p=0.962). There was a trend toward an increase in in-season TST (375.2±70.2min and 409.3±72.4min, p=0.056). There was no significant changes in performance measures between seasons (p values: 0.190 to 0.872).
There was no significant change in sleep measures between the off- season and in-season in university football players. However, the approximate 77% average of SE is alarmingly low. It is possible that student-athletes’ rigid schedules contribute to their poor sleep. Future studies are needed to determine the cause of poor sleep in football athletes.