Review article
Inadequate sleep and motor abilities: a review of the impact of complete sleep deprivation within the athlete population
Antonio Martinko
orcid.org/0000-0001-9509-8036
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Tatjana Trošt Bobić
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb
Abstract
The main aim of this research was to analyze the impact of complete sleep deprivation on motor abilities within the selected population of athletes through a systematic review of the literature. Studies included in the qualitative analysis had samples of subjects belonging to a group of recreational or elite athletes, recreationally active, young and healthy subjects, students, and even soldiers. The included subjects had a wide age range, going from 15 to 33 years. All the studies contained a total of 218 subjects, of which only three studies included 21 female subjects. The heterogeneity of the analyzed studies is a consequence of a wide age range, differences in the subject’s level and intensity of daily and weekly physical activity and different definitions of complete sleep deprivation. A review of the literature has identified a trend of negative impact of complete sleep deprivation on motor skills, although given the high degree of heterogeneity between studies, the negative impact of sleep deprivation on motor abilities cannot be fully confirmed. Also, the information on the effect size and mechanisms of the impact of sleep deprivation on motor abilities is not present and constant, and therefore
directs future research towards these issues. Involving more female subjects and reviewing the impact on more motor abilities are also issues that arise after conducting this systematic literature review. Given the available data, more work is needed to explore additional options to prevent and reduce the negative impact of sleep deprivation within the population of athletes.
Keywords
sleeping, sleep loss, sport, sports performance
Hrčak ID:
250191
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2020.
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