Effect of Training/Competition Load and Scheduling on Sleep Characteristics in Professional Rugby League Athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Sleep Science

Background:

• Sleep is crucial for athlete recovery and performance.
• Understanding the impact of training and competition load on sleep is vital for professional athletes.
• Rugby league athletes face demanding schedules that may disrupt sleep patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how training load, competition scheduling, and related factors affect sleep characteristics in professional rugby league athletes.
• To analyze the relationship between internal training load, training schedules, age, and sleep behavior.

Main Methods:

• 26 professional rugby league athletes participated in the study.
• Sleep characteristics were monitored using wrist-mounted actigraphy and sleep diaries over three distinct weeks: low training load, high training load, and in-season match week.
• Data analyzed included time in/out of bed, sleep duration, efficiency, latency, wake after sleep onset, and awakenings.

Main Results:

• Mean weekly sleep duration was significantly lower during the high training load week compared to low training load or match weeks.
• Reduced sleep duration during high training load was associated with earlier out-of-bed times.
• Match nights exhibited the lowest sleep duration; earlier training start times correlated with earlier wake times, shorter in-bed, and reduced sleep durations. Younger athletes reported longer sleep durations and better perceived sleep quality.

Conclusions:

• Training and competition schedules significantly influence sleep patterns in rugby league athletes.
• Early training start times and late-night matches are primary contributors to disrupted sleep behavior.
• Coaching staff should consider the impact of scheduling on athlete sleep to optimize recovery and performance.