The effects of sleep on exercise, and of exercise on sleep, have been studied from different angles over the last few decades. The effects of various training factors on the risk of injury were also examined. A connection that has been neglected in the past and only recognized by Milewski et al. researched and published in 2014 is that of sleep deprivation and risk of injury in sport.
And the results of the study are impressive.
Athletes who sleep less than 8 hours a night on average have over a 70% increased risk of injury compared to athletes who sleep more than 8 hours a night on average.
A significant difference.
It recorded the sleep behavior and risk of injury of 112 athletes (58 female; 54 male) with an average age of 15 years.
In summary, this is another powerful statement of the need for a good night's sleep. And another, very simple, way to reduce the risk of injury in sports.
Reference:
J Pediatr Orthop. 2014 Mar;34(2):129-33. doi: 10.1097/BPO.00000000000000151; Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes; Milewski MD, Skaggs DL, Bishop GA, Pace JL, Ibrahim DA, Wren TA, Barzdukas A. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25028798
Image: Injuries are part of everyday life in football.