Inter-relationship between sleep quality, insomnia and sleep disorders in professional soccer players

Objective Insufficient sleep duration and quality has negative effects on athletic performance, injury susceptibility and athlete development. This study aimed to assess the sleep characteristics of professional Qatar Stars League (QSL) soccer players. Methods In a cross-sectional study, QSL players (n=111; 23.7±4.8 years) completed three questionnaires to screen sleep disorders: (1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (2) Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and (3) Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI≥5, excessive daytime sleepiness was defined by ESS>8 and insomnia was defined as ISI≥11. Results The prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI≥5) was 68.5%, with subthreshold insomnia (ISI≥11) 27.0% and daytime sleepiness 22.5% (ESS>8). Sleep quality was positively associated with insomnia (r=0.42, p<0.001) and daytime sleepiness (r=0.23, p=0.018). Age, anthropometry, body composition and ethnicity were not associated with any of the reported sleep quality parameters. Conclusion The prevalence of poor sleep quality (68.5%) reported should concern practitioners. Increasing awareness of the importance of sleep relative to athletic performance, recovery, injury and illness appears prudent. Further, regular qualitative/quantitative sleep monitoring may help target subsequent evidence-informed interventions to improve sleep in those demonstrating undesirable sleep traits

Repeated-sprints exercise in daylight fasting: carbohydrate mouth rinsing does not affect sprint and reaction time performance

To determine the effect of carbohydrate mouth rinsing (CHO-MR) on physical and cognitive performance during repeated-sprints (RS) after 3 days of intermittent fasting (abstaining from food and fluid 14 h per day). In a randomized and counter-balanced manner 15 active healthy males in a fasted state performed a RS-protocol [RSP; 2 sets (SET1 and SET2) of 5×5 s maximal sprints, with each sprint interspersed with 25 s rest and 3 min of recovery between SET1 and SET2] on an instrumented non-motorized treadmill with embedded force sensors under three conditions: i) Control (CON; no-MR), ii) Placebo-MR (PLA-MR; 0% maltodextrin) and iii) CHO-MR (10% maltodextrin). Participants rinsed their mouth with either 10 mL of PLA-MR or CHO-MR solution for 5 s before each sprint. Sprint kinetics were measured for each sprint and reaction time (RTI) tasks (simple and complex) were assessed pre-, during- and post-RSP. There was no statistical main effect of CHO-MR on mean power, mean speed, and vertical stiffness during the sprints between the PLA-MR and CON condition. Additionally, no statistical main effect for CHO-MR on accuracy, movement time and reaction time during the RTI tasks was seen. CHO-MR did not affect physical (RSP) or cognitive (RTI) performance in participants who had observed 3 days of intermittent fasting (abstaining from food and fluid 14 h per day)

Snus use in football: the threat of a new addiction?

The use of Snus, an oral nicotine pouch, is becoming increasingly common in English professional football. As a nicotine product, Snus raises important questions about health and performance for practitioners. The purpose of this short communication is to explain the current regulatory status of Snus, performance related-effects, and associated health outcomes. Further, based on player statements and evidence from the general public, we argue that Snus is used as a coping mechanism to deal with the stressors of professional football. Accordingly, the communication concludes with guidance for club-level multidisciplinary interventions to support player welfare, aimed at reducing Snus use as well as future research recommendations.</p

Spearman correlation between the plasma volume variation and GH variation for combined values of segment 2 (−R₂ and −C₂).

<p>Spearman correlation between the plasma volume variation and GH variation for combined values of segment 2 (−R₂ and −C₂).</p

Total water loss.

<p>Water loss was measured at the end of each complete trial. Values are represented as mean SD. * <i>P</i><0.05 vs. reversed order trial.</p

Anthropometric characteristics, cardiorespiratory performances during maximal cycle ergometry, and training characteristics in all subjects.

<p>Means are expressed in SD.</p

Heart rate variation the during transition.

<p>Heart rate variation during the brief active transition of 1 min 30 s was calculated as the difference between the values obtained in the last minute of segment 1 and the value obtained just before the beginning of segment 2. Values are represented as mean SD. *, <i>P</i><0.05 vs. reversed order trial. §, <i>P</i><0.05 vs. 0.</p

The experimental protocol.

<p>Maximal cycling exercise as the first step. One week later, after randomization and a standardized breakfast two hours before the trials, the triathletes performed the cycle-run (C₁-R₂) or run-cycle successions (R₁-C₂) and, two weeks days later, they performed the second succession in similar conditions.</p

Distances covered; absolute and relative intensity of each trial.

<p>Means are expressed in SD. T_ransi: active short transition 1 min 30 s.</p

GH, plasma volume variation and plasma viscosity during trials.

<p>Means are expressed in SD. T_ransi, brief active transition of 1 min 30 s.</p><p>a: significantly different from rest, <i>P</i><0.05.</p><p>b: significantly different from the precedent exercise, <i>P</i><0.05.</p><p>c: significantly different from the second segment of the opposite trial, <i>P</i><0.05.</p