Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation on Sporting Performance in Athletes: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Using meta-analysis to comprehensively and quantitatively evaluate the impact of acute sleep deprivation on different sports performance of athletes, this study aims to provide scientific guidance for coaches in optimizing and adjusting training and competition arrangements.

METHODS

Establishing literature inclusion and exclusion criteria, we conducted searches in both Chinese and English databases. Using stata 14.0, we analyzed 75 indicators from 27 included literature, focusing on three aspects: the impact of acute sleep deprivation on overall athletic performance, the impact on sporting performance across various athletic abilities, and the disparities in athletic performance between morning and afternoon following acute sleep deprivation.

RESULTS

The effect size of acute sleep deprivation on overall athletic performance was -0.56 (<0.05). Sub-analyses revealed effect sizes of -0.23 (<0.05) for whole night sleep deprivation, -1.17 (<0.05) for partial sleep deprivation at the end of the night, and -0.25 (>0.05) for partial sleep deprivation in the beginning of the night. The effect sizes of acute sleep deprivation on high intensity intermittent exercise, skill control, speed, aerobic endurance, and explosive power indicators were -1.57, -1.06, -0.67, -0.54, and -0.39 respectively (<0.05). The effect sizes of acute sleep deprivation on the overall athletic performance in the morning and afternoon were -0.30, and -1.11, respectively (<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Acute sleep deprivation significantly impairs the overall athletic performance of athletes, with a more pronounced negative impact observed with partial sleep deprivation at the end of the night. Various types of exercise performance are adversely affected by acute sleep deprivation, with magnitude of impact ranking high intensity intermittent, skill control, speed, aerobic endurance, and explosive power. Following acute sleep deprivation, athletes' overall sporting performance in the afternoon is inferior to that in the morning.