ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The authors report no conflicts of interest.To determine baseline sleep characteristics of male/female student-athletes across multiple sports using objective and subjective measures. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Division I college. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-two male and female Division I student-athletes. INTERVENTIONS: Participants completed 2 validated sleep questionnaires (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS] and Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale [SISQS]) to assess subjective sleep. They also wore a validated sleep monitoring device (WHOOP 4.0 band) for at least 14 nights to collect objective data on total sleep time (TST) and sleep architecture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overnight sleep variables, including TST, time spent awake in bed after falling asleep, time spent in light sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and slow-wave sleep (SWS) cycles. Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were also assessed. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between male and female student-athletes in average TST, sleep architecture, sleep consistency, SISQS, and ESS scores. The average TST was 409.2 ± 36.3 minutes. Sleep architecture consisted of 25.6% REM, 19.9% SWS, and 54.4% light sleep. The average sleep consistency was 61.6% ± 8.9%. The average SISQS score was 6.48 ± 1.71, and the average ESS score was 7.57 ± 3.82. A significant difference was found in average wake time between males and females (55.0 vs 43.7 min, P = 0.020), with an overall average of 50.2 ± 16.2 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: College student-athletes do not typically obtain the recommended amount of sleep. Optimizing sleep can positively affect academic and athletic performance.
Subject(s)
Athletes , Sleep , Humans , Male , Female , Prospective Studies , Young Adult , Sleep/physiology , Universities , Sleep Quality , Adolescent , Students , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of recreational runners with medial and lateral heel whips. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Clinical research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 256 recreationally active runners and joggers participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: High-definition video was acquired from a posterior view while runners ran at a self-selected pace on a treadmill. Heel whips, defined as the medial or lateral rotation of the foot in the transverse plane during initial swing, were measured with Dartfish software. Subjects were stratified by direction (medial and lateral) and severity (W_5-10 = 5-10 degrees; W_10+ = >10 degrees) of heel whip. Body mass index and gender comparisons, as well as measurement reliability, also were explored. RESULTS: Mean heel whip angle across runners was 0.4 degrees (medial) with a standard deviation of 9.2 degrees. Of the 512 feet analyzed, 274 (54%) demonstrated a 5 degree whip or greater. There was a similar number of medial and lateral heel whips observed (27% each). Female runners were twice as likely to demonstrate a lateral heel whip of greater than 8.9 degrees. Overweight runners had more medially directed whips when compared with normal and underweight runners. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the recreational runners studied were observed to have a medial or lateral heel whip of greater than 5 degrees. These data reveal the age, body mass index, and gender distribution of recreational runners with and without heel whips.
