Partial sleep deprivation affects endurance performance and psychophysiological responses during 12-minute self-paced running exercise.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) on physical performance and psychophysiological responses during 12-minute self-paced running exercise.

METHODS

Twenty runners (20.8±1.1 years, 70.6±4.9 kg, 175.1±3.9 cm) performed, in a randomized order, two running self-paced field exercises after a normal sleep night (CONT, bedtime from 22:30 h to 06:30 h) and one night of PSD (bedtime from 00:30 h to 04:30 h). Core temperature and motivation were recorded before exercise. Speed, covered distance, heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and respiratory parameters (i.e., minute ventilation (VE), oxygen uptake (VO) and carbon dioxide production (VCO)) were assessed during exercise. Blood lactate concentration [La] was assessed 2 min after exercise. Simple reaction time (SRT), mood and barrage test (BT) were assessed before and after exercise.

RESULTS

Higher RPE (p=0.01, d=0.90) and lower physical performance (i.e., p=0.001, d=0.59 for running speed and p=0.01, d=0.7 and Δ (%)=-6% for covered distance), following PSD, were obtained compared to CONT. Similarly, PSD attenuated core temperature (p=0.01, d=0.84), HR (p=0.006, ɳp=0.45), VE (p=0.001, ɳp=0.73), VO (p=0.001, ɳp=0.96), BT (p<0.0005, ɳp=0.86), SRT (p=0.0009, ɳp=0.44) and mood (p<0.0005). However, VCO, [La] and motivation score were not affected by sleep conditions.

CONCLUSION

The decrease of running performance and the increase of physical discomfort after PSD could be the origin of the lower cardio-respiratory responses to the 12-minute self-paced exercise. Effective strategies should be introduced to overcome the deterioration of physical performance and physiological responses after PSD.