Sleep, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of 113 studies on sleep, circadian rhythms, and athletic performance.
PubMed 25645125 · doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.11.003
What was done
The authors conducted a systematic search across three databases and relevant reference lists to examine the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on athletic performance. A total of 113 articles met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Descriptively, athletic performance peaked in the evening around the time core body temperature reaches its peak. Sleep deprivation was negatively associated with performance, sleep extension appeared to improve performance, and the consequences of circadian desynchronization depended on local performance time.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes the broad literature demonstrating that athletic capabilities follow diurnal patterns linked to core temperature and are sensitive to both sleep loss and sleep extension.
Limits
The abstract contains no quantitative metrics, meta-analytic pooling, or pooled participant counts. Methodological quality across the 113 included studies and specific sport/skill variations are noted as issues but not quantified in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports In the late afternoon, resting heart rate is relatively higher, core body temperature is warmer, and muscle tone and joint flexibility are improved compared to the early morning.