Do You Really Need a Good Night’s Sleep to Exercise Well?
Sleep well is a classic tip before a big race or competition. But if you’ve been sitting up late choosing your best laces and then waking up early to catch the start, have you ruined your chance of a good performance?
How sleep deprivation affects exercise
You probably already know about the mental consequences of not getting enough sleep: irritability, bad decisions, an irresistible urge to crawl back into bed . But you don’t need all of these parts of your brain to run or exercise. What’s more, exercise alone can wake you up , potentially dampening some of these effects, so the relationship gets complicated.
Lack of sleep can slow you down. In one study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology , men who pulled overnight ran slightly less distance on a 30-minute treadmill test than when they were well rested. The difference was small: 3.86 miles versus 3.75 miles on average. On the other hand, a similar test on male cyclists,published in the journal Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, showed that they covered the same distance regardless of whether they slept or not, although when they lacked sleep, they felt like this. the same bad. …
So when we talk about aerobic exercise like running or cycling, the difference in your performance can be almost zero. The results are similar when you look at partial sleep rather than a full night’s sleep. A table published in the Physiology and Behavior review concluded the following about partial sleep deprivation:
- Aerobic (eg long distance running) versus anaerobic (eg sprint) sports: the difference after poor sleep is “negligible.” You may not even notice.
- Repetitive anaerobic activity such as weightlifting: increased fatigue.
- Sports that require strategy and concentration: you are less decision-making.
- A “high alert” sport, including everything you need to aim for a target: you will make more mistakes.
This supports the classic runner’s rule : Don’t worry about how much sleep you get on the night before a race if you’ve already slept before.
Another factor that affects your academic performance is the time of day. In a wide variety of sports, athletes generally perform better in the afternoon or evening than in the morning. Not getting enough sleep can help improve performance in the afternoon: In a martial arts studypublished in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , judo athletes showed better strength and muscle strength during the day when they were well rested, but in the morning and afternoon. the performances were equivalent when they only slept part of the night. Most runners run in the morning, but some other sports compete at the end of the day, and in major endurance events (such as triathlon), there may be several waves during the day. If you have a choice of start times, it’s best to go later in the day – if you plan on getting a good night’s sleep before the event.
What to do if you didn’t get enough sleep before the event
Sometimes you just know you will not get enough sleep, especially if your race has an early start. Consider if you can actually fall asleep on time, or if you’re likely to be traveling, getting ready, or just too anxious to get up early in the hay.
If you know you will have to skip the night before the event, start going to bed early in the week. For a big race like a marathon, you’ll already be following a plan to cut back on your workouts, drink plenty of water, and possibly consume carbohydrates . If you are smart, you will make sleep your priority during this time. With the extra hours of sleep in the bank, this harsh night before the race doesn’t really matter.
Before you go to bed, remind yourself of the basketball study published in Sleep magazine . The players did not initially think they were getting enough sleep, but by spending at least 10 hours in bed each night, they achieved faster sprints, better shooting accuracy, and “improved overall physical and mental well-being.” Existence.”
Whether you have a choice to skip sleep early or late at night, a study in judokas sheds light on this: Waking up early resulted in a greater loss of energy in the afternoon than staying up late. So, for example, if you have to travel, it may be better to reach your destination at night and crash for several hours than waking up early and spending the morning on the road.
When you wake up, the same tips apply here to help you get through your workday . Skip the snooze button (that extra ten minutes won’t help) and get some sunshine and a proven healthy breakfast right away.
This breakfast should probably include coffee for several reasons. First, caffeine helps you wake up; enough said. Second, caffeine improves performance in endurance racing and other sports . You should never try something new on race day, but experimenting with caffeine before your run is a strategy worth trying. If you like it during training, use it on the day of the competition. Use a dose similar to the one you’re used to (remembering that some energy gels and drinks also contain caffeine), and don’t forget that coffee will give you a poop – so think carefully about your timing.
Finally, caffeine helps counteract some of the psychological effects of sleep deprivation. This can help you make better decisions (useful if your event requires strategy). It’s less clear if this matters in a sport that demands precision: in trials, caffeine helped rugby players , but not tennis players .
When to skip a workout
Planning a race is one thing, but what’s the best tactic when you’re too tired for your day-to-day training?
If you wake up tired on a day of serious workout that’s hard to get through — say, a pivotal long run leading to a marathon — treat it like a race. Remember that you can still do this and still benefit from the exercise, even if it is terrible for you. Relax if necessary and focus on surviving after your workout .
On these sleepy days, you feel best in the morning and wither, mentally and physically, by evening. This may mean that you are better off exercising first than waiting later in the afternoon. But in fact, if you have time to work out in the morning, you can also use that time to sleep or, if the opportunity comes later, to take a nap .
Regardless, in most cases, you should start by asking why you are so tired. Most people don’t think about skipping a workout if they get tired only occasionally: they just skip it and move on. One workout out of dozens doesn’t really matter. But if you regularly skip workouts, you may need to reschedule something. Perhaps you have a main workout scheduled on the same day as your predictable weekly deadline, in which case you should either reschedule your workout or, even better, manage your time so you don’t have to spend all night so often.
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