These are rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Sleep is a complex physiological and behavioural state that has two primary states based on physiological parameters. Sleep can be defined as a reversible behavioural state in which an individual is perceptually disengaged from and unresponsive to the environment. Therefore, if sleep debt is of significance to an athlete’s performance, there should be evidence that a decrease in athletic performance occurs as a consequence of sleep deprivation. At present there is almost no direct scientific evidence to support or refute the importance of sleep for athlete recovery. This appears to be a considerable oversight given that sleep has been recognized as an essential component of recovery from, and preparation for, high-intensity training. While there are considerable data available related to the amount of sleep obtained by adults in the general population, there are few published data related to the amount of sleep obtained by elite athletes. This type of evidence has led to the recommendation that adults should obtain 8 h of sleep per night to prevent neurobehavioural deficits. Restricting sleep to less than 6 h per night for 4 or more consecutive nights has been shown to impair cognitive performance and mood, glucose metabolism, appetite regulation, and immune function. An individual’s recent sleep history therefore has a marked impact on their daytime functioning. Although the function of sleep is not fully understood, it is generally accepted that it serves to permit recovery from previous wakefulness and/or prepare for functioning in the subsequent wake period. This is evidenced by changes in almost all human physiological processes at the onset of sleep. Sleep has important biological functions regarding physiological processes, learning, memory, and cognition. While there is some research investigating the effects of nutritional interventions on sleep, future research may highlight the importance of nutritional and dietary interventions to enhance sleep. In this review, the factors influencing sleep quality and quantity in athletic populations are examined and the potential impact of nutritional interventions is considered. Carbohydrate, tryptophan, valerian, melatonin and other nutritional interventions have been investigated as possible sleep inducers and represent promising potential interventions. Therefore, nutritional interventions that may act on these neurotransmitters in the brain may also influence sleep. These include serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone, cholinergic, galanin, noradrenaline, and histamine. Research has identified a number of neurotransmitters associated with the sleep–wake cycle. These factors can ultimately have a negative influence on an athlete’s nutritional, metabolic and endocrine status and hence potentially reduce athletic performance.
Furthermore, changes in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrine function as a result of chronic, partial sleep deprivation may result in alterations in carbohydrate metabolism, appetite, food intake and protein synthesis. Compromised sleep may also influence learning, memory, cognition, pain perception, immunity and inflammation. Sleep deprivation can have significant effects on athletic performance, especially submaximal, prolonged exercise. Recent evidence, as well as anecdotal information, suggests that athletes may experience a reduced quality and/or quantity of sleep. Sleep has numerous important physiological and cognitive functions that may be particularly important to elite athletes.
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