A randomized controlled pilot trial of sleep health education on body composition changes following 10 weeks'...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of advising sleep health optimization on anthropomorphic variables following 10 weeks resistance exercise training.

Thirty untrained healthy men were recruited for the study and 23 were included in the final analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to exercise and sleep optimization: ExS (N.=10) or exercise only: Ex (N.=12). Both groups performed a whole-body resistance exercise program twice a week for 10 weeks. The ExS group received sleep health (SH) education on how to improve both sleep quantity and quality.

After 10 weeks of training both groups had increased lean body mass by a similar amount. The ExS group experienced an increase of 1.7±1.1 kg while the Ex group experienced an increase of 1.3±0.8 kg (P=0.29 for difference between groups). The men in the ExS group reduced fat mass significantly (-1.8±0.8 kg) while the Ex group did not (0.8±1.0 kg). P value was 0.02 for difference between groups.

This randomized controlled trial suggests that combining regular resistance exercise training with optimization of sleep health provide significant added benefits to body composition. This optimization provides a simple and cheap tool, applicable to the general healthy population.