Exploring the physiological mechanisms of sleep's influence on athletic performance and recovery: a narrative review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing literature without systematic search methodology or meta-analysis
PubMed 41217703 · doi:10.1007/s11325-025-03531-9
What was done
The authors conducted a narrative review of literature examining the physiological mechanisms linking sleep, athletic performance, and recovery. Relevant studies were identified through targeted database searches and reference list tracking, and findings were analyzed thematically across physiological and applied domains.
What was found
The abstract reports qualitative narrative findings with no numerical data or effect sizes. Slow-wave sleep (SWS) is identified as key for physical recovery, linked to metabolic stress responses and growth hormone production, and typically increases with training load up to the threshold of overtraining. Acute sleep restriction predominantly impairs sports requiring complex cognitive and technical skills. Interventions such as napping reduce perceived fatigue and improve physical and cognitive performance, while sleep extension improves physical performance, cognitive function, and sport-specific skills.
Why it matters
Understanding the physiological mechanisms connecting sleep architecture (such as slow-wave sleep) to muscle recovery and cognitive readiness helps coaches and sports scientists design targeted recovery protocols, including strategic napping and sleep extension.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search protocol, risk-of-bias assessment, and quantitative meta-analysis. The abstract provides no specific study counts, participant characteristics, or numerical effect sizes.
Cited by
- supports Growth hormone is secreted primarily during stage 3 (N3 / slow-wave) non-REM sleep.