Mu Fan-Zheng, Zhou Bao-Wei, Li Bo, Lou Hu, Zhu Wei-Dong, Chen Xue-Hao, Chang Min, Wu Qingchang, Zhao Lin-Lin, Liu Jun
School of Sports Science, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
School of Physical Education and Health, Changzhou Liu Guojun Vocational Technology College, Changzhou, 213025, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 21;15(1):9758. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-90662-4.
Cardiopulmonary endurance is a crucial factor affecting cardiovascular health. In recent years, the incidence of metabolic syndrome among university students has been on the rise due to poor cardiopulmonary endurance. Existing studies have shown that high-quality sleep is an important means of improving cardiopulmonary health; however, the mechanism by which sleep influences the cardiopulmonary endurance of university students remains unclear. This study introduces emotional regulation ability and exercise adherence as mediating variables. Using a combination of testing and questionnaire surveys, it explores the relationship between sleep quality and cardiopulmonary endurance in university students and conducts path analysis. The 20-meter shuttle run test (20mSRT) was used to assess cardiopulmonary endurance, and effective scales such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and the Exercise Adherence Scale (EAS) were employed in the survey. A total of 266 valid questionnaires were collected (validity rate of 96.4%), and the Bootstrap method was applied to conduct chain mediation effect analysis. The results indicate that the proportion of students with good and poor sleep quality were 30.5% and 0.7%, respectively, while 98.9% of students were at high risk in terms of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) for cardiopulmonary endurance. Sleep quality was found to have a low negative correlation with cardiopulmonary endurance (r = -0.033), a significant negative correlation with emotional self-regulation ability (r = -0.281), and a significant low negative correlation with exercise adherence (r = -0.143). Emotional self-regulation ability was moderately positively correlated with exercise adherence (r = 0.499). Mediation effect testing revealed that emotional self-regulation ability and exercise adherence fully mediated the relationship between sleep quality and cardiopulmonary endurance. The total indirect effect was significant, with a total effect of -0.412, a direct effect of -0.184, and an indirect effect of -0.228. In conclusion, the overall sleep quality of university students is relatively good. Higher sleep quality can predict stronger cardiopulmonary endurance, and emotional self-regulation ability and exercise adherence fully mediate the relationship between sleep quality and cardiopulmonary endurance. In other words, sleep quality indirectly enhances cardiopulmonary endurance by improving emotional regulation and exercise adherence, with no direct effect between the two.
心肺耐力是影响心血管健康的关键因素。近年来，由于心肺耐力较差，大学生代谢综合征的发病率呈上升趋势。现有研究表明，高质量睡眠是改善心肺健康的重要手段；然而，睡眠影响大学生心肺耐力的机制尚不清楚。本研究引入情绪调节能力和运动坚持性作为中介变量。采用测试与问卷调查相结合的方式，探讨大学生睡眠质量与心肺耐力之间的关系，并进行路径分析。采用20米往返跑测试（20mSRT）评估心肺耐力，调查中使用了匹兹堡睡眠质量指数（PSQI）、情绪智力量表（EIS）和运动坚持性量表（EAS）等有效量表。共收集有效问卷266份（有效率96.4%），采用Bootstrap法进行链式中介效应分析。结果表明，睡眠质量良好和较差的学生比例分别为30.5%和0.7%，而98.9%的学生在心肺耐力的最大摄氧量（VO2 max）方面处于高风险状态。研究发现，睡眠质量与心肺耐力呈低度负相关（r = -0.033），与情绪自我调节能力呈显著负相关（r = -0.281），与运动坚持性呈显著低度负相关（r = -0.143）。情绪自我调节能力与运动坚持性呈中度正相关（r = 0.499）。中介效应检验表明，情绪自我调节能力和运动坚持性完全中介了睡眠质量与心肺耐力之间的关系。总间接效应显著，总效应为-0.412，直接效应为-0.184，间接效应为-0.228。总之，大学生的整体睡眠质量相对较好。较高的睡眠质量可以预测更强的心肺耐力，情绪自我调节能力和运动坚持性完全中介了睡眠质量与心肺耐力之间的关系。换句话说，睡眠质量通过改善情绪调节和运动坚持性间接增强心肺耐力，两者之间没有直接影响。
