30 Seconds SummaryHow much does sleep loss affect strength performance?
- Most people consider nutrition and sleep as the top two non-training factors important for lifters, yet sleep hasn't been extensively studied longitudinally due to recruitment challenges for such studies.
- A meta-analysis summarized the acute impacts of sleep restriction and deprivation on strength performance, showing it to affect performance less than commonly assumed.
- Selected studies for the meta-analysis involved healthy adults experiencing sleep loss (≤6 hours) compared to normal sleep (>6 hours), excluding multiple-night studies or those using stimulants/sedatives.
- The meta-analysis included various performance categories, primarily focusing on strength and strength endurance performance, showing an average decrease in strength performance by 2.85% and in strength endurance by 9.85%.
- The study found that sleep restriction has a more noticeable effect when scheduled later (waking up early) rather than earlier (going to bed late), affecting evening performance more negatively.
- Sleep loss impacts strength endurance performance more significantly than maximal strength, suggesting a more considerable reduction in volume tolerance and submaximal lifting capacity following sleep deprivation.
- Prolonged poor sleep is noted to likely have more than just acute impacts, potentially affecting long-term muscle growth and strength gains significantly based on observational data from coaching experiences.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols
