Sleep disturbances after an ultra-trail endurance race: a field study 2026 Fachan et al

Andy

Andy

Senior Member (Voting rights)

Highlights​

  • The predominant changes observed in athletes' sleep are a decrease in sleep efficiency accompanied by an increase in sleep fragmentation.
  • Even though objective modifications occurred, only minimal subjective changes were observed postrace in endurance athletes.
  • Objective sleep disruptions persist last up 5 nights postrace.

Abstract​

Background​

Endurance running has a substantial influence on sleep, while insufficient or disturbed sleep prior to exercise may impair endurance performance. However, these interactions remain poorly characterized under real-life conditions. The aim of this field study was to examine sleep patterns in athletes before and after an ultra-trail race.

Methods​

Eighteen athletes (mean age 34.6 ± 8.13, 3 women) underwent an ultra-trail race at 03:30 a.m. (Ultra Marathon des Cirques, La Réunion, France, 64 km, 5000 m of elevation gain, June 2024). After completing various questionnaires to assess their sleep, all participants filled out a sleep diary and all wore an actimeter for six nights before and after the event.

Results​

The athletes reported modest subjective sleep alterations, mainly a later wake-up time and reduced sleep quality on the night following the race (p < 0.05). However, actigraphy-based sleep measurements revealed objective sleep changes, including reduced sleep efficiency (p < 0.05), longer nocturnal wake time (p < 0.05), an increased number of awakenings (p < 0.05), and wake after sleep onset (p < 0.05), lasting up to four nights after the race.

Conclusions​

Participants reported minor sleep complaints following the ultra-trail, whereas more pronounced sleep disruptions can persist for up to four nights postrace. These disruptions are characterized by sleep fragmentation and reduced sleep efficiency. The mechanisms underlying these alterations remain to be elucidated and may involve factors such as sleep deprivation, cumulative fatigue, hypoxia, and hyperthermia.

Open access
 
Andy said:
However, actigraphy-based sleep measurements revealed objective sleep changes, including reduced sleep efficiency (p < 0.05), longer nocturnal wake time (p < 0.05), an increased number of awakenings (p < 0.05), and wake after sleep onset (p < 0.05), lasting up to four nights after the race.
Click to expand...
This sounds an awful lot like MECFS sleep symptoms. Does reduced sleep efficiency mean it's harder to get to sleep?
 
V.R.T. said:
This sounds an awful lot like MECFS sleep symptoms. Does reduced sleep efficiency mean it's harder to get to sleep?
Click to expand...
All they really say in this paper is "Sleep changes can manifest as both subjective alterations in perceived sleep quality [33] and objective sleep measurements including the sleep duration, the number of awakenings, WASO and measures of sleep efficiency measured by actimeter [34]. "

Ref 34 is to Objective Measures of Sleep Apnea and Actigraphy-Based Sleep Characteristics as Correlates of Subjective Sleep Quality in an Epidemiologic Study: The Jackson Heart Sleep Study which is unfortunately paywalled so I can't see if they elaborate any further there.
 
Yes in normal terms. For severe ME we would spend quite a bit of deliberately awake time in bed during the day. So we'd have to adjust the definition to something like time spent asleep over time in bed asleep + trying to sleep.

https://www.hypersomniafoundation.org/glossary/sleep-efficiency/ —

Sleep efficiency is the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed. It is calculated by dividing the amount of time spent asleep (in minutes) by the total amount of time in bed (in minutes). A normal sleep efficiency is considered to be 85% or higher.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom