How does sleep deprivation affect sprinters?

Visual of Sleep Deprivation

Everyone knows the fundamentals of sleep and why it’s so important. From a very young age, it has been ingrained into society that sleep is imperative for health, growth, and recovery and for its impacts on the brain, but as individuals age and gain more responsibilities, sleeping at the recommended time is not always plausible. So, for athletes, sprinters in particular, how does sleep deprivation affect their performance?

Sleep Deprivation:

Sleep deprivation is a condition when one doesn't experience enough good quality sleep and typically affects one in three adults in the United States. It can stem from not sleeping long enough, sleeping at the wrong time of day—disrupting the circadian rhythm (the body's 24-hour clock)—experiencing poor quality or disrupted sleep, or having a sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation is a highly prevalent issue within America, and its consequences on health and performance are evident, contributing to the development of chronic physical and mental health issues, injuries, greater likelihood of death, and impair work, school, driving, and social functions. Getting enough quality sleep is vital for everyone. 

Effects on Athletes:

For athletes, the effects of sleep deprivation can be especially debilitating, ranging from increased injury risk to inhibited performance and reaction times. But this is often unavoidable, where barriers that prevent athletes from receiving sufficient sleep include training volume and schedule, where extended early-morning or late-night practices can compromise sleep duration, competition periods, where heightened levels of stress and anxiety can reduce sleep quantity and quality, traveling, where jet lag makes it difficult to adhere to a regular sleep schedule, and additional conflicts that may contribute to the burden of athletes. Studies have indicated a correlation between decreased sleep duration and increased injury risk. This is because growth and development peak during the sleep cycle; without achieving adequate sleep, these systems become compromised. Similarly, there is an increased risk of contracting diseases due to the stressors enabled by insufficient sleep. On an athletic performance level, cognitive performance, precision and accuracy performance, endurance performance, and reaction time are all negatively affected for reasons similar to those stated above. These can all be improved with an adequate amount of sleep. Sleep is a mechanism that allows the body to reset; without it, the body will suffer.

Sprinting:

Visual of Sprinting

In terms of its effects on sprinters, a general understanding of the biomechanics behind sprinting is warranted. The most important part of a sprint race is the sprinter's start—their ability to react to the starting gun, get out from the blocks, and charge forward to gain momentum for their race. This start is what sets them up for their position in the race and is initiated by an "onset of electrical activity" and "force production by the muscle" (The Biomechanics of Sprinting » ForeverFitScience). From here, it becomes a matter of technique—through stride length and rate, posture, arm and leg movements—endurance—how long one can maintain top speed before fatigue sets in—and force production—how much power one outputs in their movements. While environmental factors also come into play, in short, a sprinter's performance depends on neurons' (brain cells) ability to quickly and effectively activate muscles (through electric activity) and generate force. These abilities are inhibited with sleep deprivation, meaning slower reaction time, quicker exhaustion, and worsened technique, resulting in an overall decreased sprint performance. 

Conclusion:

It is in everyone's best interest to prioritize sleep, especially for athletes seeking improvement and strong performances. Sleep deprivation impairs a sprinter's and other athletes' ability to act meticulously, skillfully, and quickly. While it may seem tedious, sleep should not be compromised in lieu of more "productive" activities; it truly is a necessity that plays a major role in life, health, and performance, even if it is not evident at the moment.

Sources:

“The Sports Institute.” Impacts of Sleep on Athletic Performance, https://thesportsinstitute.com/impacts-of-sleep-on-athletic-performance/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024. 

Fry, Alexa. “How Sleep Affects Athletic Performance.” Sleep Foundation, 23 Jan. 2021, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/athletic-performance-and-sleep. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024. 

sleepcyclecenter. “How Sleep Deprivation Affects Athletic Performance.” Sleep Cycle Center, 2 Mar. 2021, https://www.sleepcyclecenters.com/blog/how-inadequate-sleep-affects-an-athletes-performance/. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024. 

“What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?” NHLBI, NIH, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024.

Rubadeau, Tristan. “The Biomechanics of Sprinting » ForeverFitScience.” ForeverFitScience, 10 May 2018, https://foreverfitscience.com/sprinting/the-biomechanics-of-sprinting/#:~:text=Thomas%20(2017)%20found%20that%20maximal,contribute%20to%20max%20running%20speeds. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024.