Electro-mechanical response times and muscle strength after sleep deprivation

This study examined the effect of 60 h of sleep deprivation (SD) on electromechanical response times (EMRT), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC), rate of force development (RFD), and times required to reach various percentages of MVC, during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction of both the forearm flexors and leg extensors. Eleven male subjects were either sleep deprived for 60 h (E) or performed similar daily activities and slept 7 h per night (C). Performance variables were evaluated at the same time intervals during both conditions. No significant differences were observed between the E and C conditions for EMRT (pre-motor time, electro-mechanical delay, total reaction time) or muscular performance (MVC, RFD). The results suggest that subjects who have undergone 60 h of SD can react as fast, and with as much force, as those who have had 7 h of sleep per night.