effects of variations in sleep deprivation on muscle performance, body weight, and body temperature in rats

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation [SD] at different duration for one week and two weeks on the muscle performance in the form force of peak contraction, contraction time, and half relaxation time. The study also demonstrates the effect of sleep deprivation on body weight, and level of body temperature in young and old rats. 60 male albino rats are divided into 30 young [30 days old] with mean weight 143 +/- 26.2 grams. 10 control group and rest were subjected to one week and two weeks of sleep deprivation each group 10 rats. The other 30 old rats [70 days old] with mean weight 243 +/- 37.7 grams. 10 control group and rest were subjected to one week and two weeks sleep deprivation each group 10 rats. The results demonstrated that sleep deprivation for one week and two weeks in young and old rats groups caused significant decrease in force of peak contraction, and significant increase in contraction time and in half relaxation time compared with the corresponding values in normal control group. There were significant decreases in body weight in young rats and old rats groups in one week and two weeks sleep deprivation compared with the corresponding values in normal control group. Also there were significant decreases in body temperture in young rats groups in one week and two weeks sleep deprivation in relation to control group. This experiment highlights that muscle performance, body weight, and body temperature are impaired during sleep deprivation either with one or two weeks sleep lack. The impairment increased with the prolonged time of sleep deprivation and with old aged groups than young ones