0749 SLEEP LOADING IMPROVES VISUAL SEARCH RESPONSE TIME AND REDUCES FATIGUE IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Introduction: Sports performance relies on quick visual decision- making and reaction time. In baseball, a fastball takes only 400 ms to travel from pitcher to hitter. This requires visual search strategies to distinguish amongst different types of pitches and react quickly. Fatigue over a season, however, can negatively impact performance and pitch recognition. This study aims to examine the effects of short-term sleep extension on cognitive performance and daytime functioning. Method(s): In this randomized controlled trial during a 4-week training camp, seventeen professional male baseball players from a Major League Baseball organization completed a two-day baseline of habitual sleep. Athletes were then randomized to 1) sleep extension (SE) to 10 hours for five nights or 2) controls maintaining habitual sleep for five nights. Pre- and post-cognitive tests included Digit Symbol Substitution Task (DSST) and an adaptive visual search task. Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessed mood and daytime sleepiness. Result(s): SE (n=8) increased reported sleep time by 1.1 hours/night (7.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 8.1 +/- 0.8 hours) vs. controls (n=9) reported 6.9 +/- 0.8 hours/night. Actigraphy indicated SE obtained an additional 0.6 hours/night (6.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 6.9 +/- 1.0 hours). SE resulted in 122 ms (13.0%) faster DSST response time (p=0.01) and 66 ms (709 +/- 81 vs. 643 +/- 83 ms) faster response time associated with selective attention when confronted with distractors, F(1,14)=6.22, p=0.03. POMS Fatigue decreased 39.7%, F(1,14)=10.84, p<0.01, and Tension decreased 33.8% (p=0.04). Controls demonstrated increased Fatigue (25.3%) and Tension (19.6%). SE decreased daytime sleepiness 36.8% via Epworth, 7.1 +/- 1.6 vs. 4.5 +/- 3.5, F(1,14)=6.23, p=0.03. Conclusion(s): Sleep extension for one hour for five nights resulted in faster cognitive processing, reduced fatigue, and decreased daytime sleepiness in professional baseball players. Short-term sleep loading is a practical intervention that enhances response time and daytime functioning.