Continuous theta burst stimulation improves sleep quality and thereby enhances athletic performance in athletes with...

Sleep disorders (SD) are prevalent among athletes during training practice, which adversely affects both their physical health and athletic performance. This study investigates the effects of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on athletes with SD.

Twenty athletes with SD were recruited and randomly assigned to either the cTBS group or the sham-cTBS group. Participants in both groups received a 48 s cTBS once daily before bedtime for five consecutive days. Sleep quality, athletic performance, reaction speed, and daytime functioning were assessed in athletes with SD both before and after the cTBS.

The statistical significance level was set at α = 0.05 for all analyses. Compared to pre-cTBS, the cTBS group demonstrated significant reductions in sleep onset latency (SOL) (P < 0.001), time awake (TA) (P < 0.001), and PSQI scores (P < 0.001) following cTBS. Total sleep time showed a significant increase (P < 0.001), while subjective physical fatigue (P < 0.001) and mental fatigue (P < 0.01) were significantly decreased. Additionally, a significant improvement was observed in agility test completion time (P < 0.01). In contrast, no significant differences were observed between groups in standing long jump performance, reaction speed, daytime sleepiness scores, or positive and negative affect scores.

A five-day course of cTBS significantly improved subjective sleep quality, increased total sleep time, and reduced SOL and TA in athletes with SD. Additionally, it enhanced agility and alleviated subjective mental and physical fatigue. There was also evidence suggesting potential improvements in reaction speed and emotional experience.