- According to a recent study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, getting seven hours of sleep or less could up your risk of injury while training.
- A lack of sleep could mess with protein synthesis, muscle recovery, immune system function, and modulation of your body’s inflammatory response—which can all lead to injury.
- Getting enough sleep—about eight hours—is just as important as proper nutrition and hydration for preventing injuries and keeping your bones strong.
When it comes to injury prevention in running, there are numerous strategies that can help including dynamic stretching, proper cross-training, and increasing your distance gradually. Now, there’s another major tactic to consider: Getting some solid sleep.
A recent study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport looked at 95 endurance athletes, including runners, swimmers, cyclists, and triathletes. Over the course of a year, researchers tracked health complaints related to cardiorespiratory issues, gastrointestinal problems, and psychological struggles, as well as sleep quantity, training load, and new injury episodes.
They found the biggest increase in injuries were among those who skimped on sleep, reporting less than seven hours of shut-eye per night. There was also an increase in injury risk for those reporting psychological issues, although it wasn’t as high as the sleep connection.
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In contrast, there was no significant association between new injuries for those reporting health complaints and higher training loads.
This adds to previous research connecting quality sleep with athletic advantages, according to W. Chris Winter, M.D., owner of the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine clinic, and author of The Sleep Solution. He frequently works with sports teams, and told Runner’s World there is increasing awareness of the role of sleep when it comes to injury prevention and effective recovery.
“It makes a lot of sense to see sleep as a tool for athletic performance, since adults secrete growth hormone primarily during deep sleep,” he said, adding that this process is central to protein synthesis, muscle recovery, immune system function, and modulation of your body’s inflammatory response.
“It would stand to reason that chronic sleep loss or a sleep disorder would cause an athlete to suffer,” he said. “Not only do they get sick more easily, but it takes them longer to recover from an injury, and could even shorten the length of time they can remain in their sports.”
[Stay injury free on the road by getting on the mat with Yoga for Runners.]
Another recent sleep study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research adds another advantage to consider, especially for older women. Research looking at over 11,000 postmenopausal women found those sleeping five hours or less per night had lower bone density compared to women who slept seven hours per night or more.
Even mood can be affected for athletes, according to research published in the journal Physical Therapy in Sports, which found that sleep problems led to mood disturbances and increased general health complaints.
To sum it all up: Getting enough sleep—about eight hours—is just as important as proper nutrition and hydration for preventing injuries, keeping your bones strong, and boosting your mood for years to come.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
