The Relationship Between Sleep and Training in Elite Youth Team Athletes in Austria

Abstract

This study investigates the sleep-wake behavior of elite youth team athletes in Austria concerning their training. For this purpose, 104 athletes (M = 14.52, SD = 0.40), who were each part of a U15/U16 soccer (n = 69) or ice hockey team (n = 35), were examined over 14 - 42 days using actigraphy and sleep protocol. In addition, we assessed chronotype (D-MEQ) and general sleep quality (PSQI). We hypothesized that sleep quality before training and matchdays would be lower than before rest days, and that low sleep quality would negatively affect training intensity. The study showed that athletes slept longer on rest days. It also confirmed that shorter sleep duration and longer sleep onset latency negatively impact perceived training intensity the following day. A greater emphasis on sleep quality in performance analyses and in the design of training plans is recommended.