The effect of alcohol on subsequent sleep in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Alcohol is commonly consumed prior to bedtime with the belief that it facilitates sleep. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the impact of alcohol on the characteristics of night-time sleep, with the intent to identify the influence of the dose and timing of alcohol intake. A systematic search of the literature identified 27 studies for inclusion in the analysis.

Dose response effects of theacrine on cognitive performance and subsequent sleep.

Psychostimulants can be employed as a countermeasure to cognitive declines resulting from insufficient sleep. Although caffeine is the most consumed psychostimulant, consumption can cause adverse side-effects, including sleep disturbance. Therefore, there is interest in identifying alternative supplements that improve cognitive performance without compromising subsequent sleep.

Comparing the effects of time-restricted eating on glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes with standard dietetic practice: A randomised controlled trial.

Aims: To test the efficacy of time-restricted eating (TRE) in comparison to dietitian-led individualised dietary guidance to improve HbA1c in people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: In a parallel groups design, 51 adults (35-65 y) with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and overweight/obesity (HbA1c ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol), BMI ≥25-≤40 kg/m) commenced a six-month intervention.

Menstrual-Cycle Symptoms and Sleep Characteristics in Elite Soccer Players.

Purpose: To determine whether menstrual-cycle symptoms are associated with sleep in elite female athletes.

Methods: Sleep was assessed for a minimum of 25 nights (range = 25-31) using activity monitoring and sleep diaries. Menstrual-cycle symptoms were collected over the same duration in 12 elite female professional soccer players.

The acute effects of nonsleep deep rest on perceptual responses, physical, and cognitive performance in physically active participants.

This study aimed to examine the effect of nonsleep deep rest (NSDR) on physical and cognitive performance, as well as sleepiness, acute readiness, recovery, stress, and mood state in physically active participants. A total of 65 physically active participants (42 male, 23 female) were randomly assigned into two groups: an experimental group (NSDR, n = 34), in which participants completed a 10-min NSDR intervention, and a control group (CON, n = 31), whereby participants sat passively for 10 min. Testing measures were assessed immediately pre and 10 min post each condition and comprised completing a hand grip strength dynamometer test and a countermovement jump test on force plates, cognitive function measures via a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT-B), and a Simon task test, along with four questionnaires to assess sleep, recovery, and mood state.

Effect of repeated post-resistance exercise cold or hot water immersion on in-season inflammatory responses in academy rugby players: a randomised controlled cross-over design.

Purpose: Uncertainty exists if post-resistance exercise hydrotherapy attenuates chronic inflammatory and hormone responses. The effects of repeated post-resistance exercise water immersion on inflammatory and hormone responses in athletes were investigated.

Methods: Male, academy Super Rugby players (n = 18, 19.

Validity and Reliability of Thoracic-Mounted Inertial Measurement Units to Derive Gait Characteristics During Running.

Horsley, BJ, Tofari, PJ, Halson, SL, Kemp, JG, Chalkley, D, Cole, MH, Johnston, RD, and Cormack, SJ. Validity and reliability of thoracic-mounted inertial measurement units to derive gait characteristics during running. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 274-282, 2024-Inertial measurement units (IMUs) attached to the tibia or lumbar spine can be used to analyze running gait but, with team-sports, are often contained in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) units worn on the thoracic spine.

Thoracic-Worn Accelerometers Detect Fatigue-Related Changes in Vertical Stiffness During Sprinting.

Horsley, BJ, Tofari, PJ, Halson, SL, Kemp, JG, Johnston, RD, and Cormack, SJ. Thoracic-worn accelerometers detect fatigue-related changes in vertical stiffness during sprinting. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 283-289, 2024-Thoracic-mounted accelerometers are valid and reliable for analyzing gait characteristics and may provide the opportunity to assess running-related neuromuscular fatigue (NMF) during training and competition without the need for additional tests, such as a countermovement jump (CMJ).

Global practitioner assessment and management of mental fatigue and mental recovery in high-performance sport: A need for evidence-based best-practice guidelines.

Background: Mental fatigue and mental recovery have gained scientific attention in relation to sporting performance, yet best practice assessment and management methods are lacking. A greater understanding of current knowledge and practices in high-performance sport are necessary.

Objective: To understand the contemporary knowledge, beliefs, monitoring processes, management strategies, perceived responsibility, sources of evidence, and challenges, when assessing the mental fatigue and mental recovery of athletes in high-performance sport.

Thinking About Elite Performance: The Experience and Impact of Mental Fatigue in Elite Sport Coaching.

Purpose: Mental fatigue causes decreases in aspects of athletes' performance. Elite coaches commonly undertake cognitively demanding tasks and are seemingly at similar risk of subsequent performance impairment. However, elite sport coaches' experiences of mental fatigue, alongside other markers of psychobiological stress, have yet to be quantified.

Physiological Responses and Adaptations to Lower Load Resistance Training: Implications for Health and Performance.

Resistance training is a method of enhancing strength, gait speed, mobility, and health. However, the external load required to induce these benefits is a contentious issue. A growing body of evidence suggests that when lower load resistance training [i.

Acute Performance, Daily Well-Being, and Hormone Responses to Water Immersion After Resistance Exercise in Junior International and Subelite Male Volleyball Athletes.

Horgan, BG, Tee, N, West, NP, Drinkwater, EJ, Halson, SL, Colomer, CME, Fonda, CJ, Tatham, J, Chapman, DW, and Haff, GG. Acute performance, daily well-being and hormone responses to water immersion after resistance exercise in junior international and subelite male volleyball athletes. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1643-1653, 2023-Athletes use postexercise hydrotherapy strategies to improve recovery and competition performance and to enhance adaptative responses to training.

Poor sleep quality during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions associated with reduced psychological wellbeing in healthcare students.

Sleep is inexorably linked to both physiological and psychological wellbeing. Restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted upon daily and weekly routines, which can have a negative impact on a range of factors including sleep quality, and/or quantity and general wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 related restrictions on sleep patterns and psychological wellbeing of healthcare students.

The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The consumption of caffeine in response to insufficient sleep may impair the onset and maintenance of subsequent sleep. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effect of caffeine on the characteristics of night-time sleep, with the intent to identify the time after which caffeine should not be consumed prior to bedtime. A systematic search of the literature was undertaken with 24 studies included in the analysis.

Do Sports Compression Garments Alter Measures of Peripheral Blood Flow? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Background: One of the proposed mechanisms underlying the benefits of sports compression garments may be alterations in peripheral blood flow.

Objective: We aimed to determine if sports compression garments alter measures of peripheral blood flow at rest, as well as during, immediately after and in recovery from a physiological challenge (i.e.

Effects of Cold-Water Immersion Compared with Other Recovery Modalities on Athletic Performance Following Acute Strenuous Exercise in Physically Active Participants: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression.

Background: Studies investigating the effects of common recovery modalities following acute strenuous exercise have reported mixed results.

Objectives: This systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression compared the effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) against other common recovery modalities on recovery of athletic performance, perceptual outcomes, and creatine kinase (CK) following acute strenuous exercise in physically active populations.

Study Design: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

No effect of repeated post-resistance exercise cold or hot water immersion on in-season body composition and performance responses in academy rugby players: a randomised controlled cross-over design.

Purpose: Following resistance exercise, uncertainty exists as to whether the regular application of cold water immersion attenuates lean muscle mass increases in athletes. The effects of repeated post-resistance exercise cold versus hot water immersion on body composition and neuromuscular jump performance responses in athletes were investigated.

Methods: Male, academy Super Rugby players (n = 18, 19.

Sleep, circadian biology and skeletal muscle interactions: Implications for metabolic health.

There currently exists a modern epidemic of sleep loss, triggered by the changing demands of our 21st century lifestyle that embrace 'round-the-clock' remote working hours, access to energy-dense food, prolonged periods of inactivity, and on-line social activities. Disturbances to sleep patterns impart widespread and adverse effects on numerous cells, tissues, and organs. Insufficient sleep causes circadian misalignment in humans, including perturbed peripheral clocks, leading to disrupted skeletal muscle and liver metabolism, and whole-body energy homeostasis.

Compression-induced improvements in post-exercise recovery are associated with enhanced blood flow, and are not due to the placebo effect.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological effects of compression tights on blood flow following exercise and to assess if the placebo effect is responsible for any acute performance or psychological benefits. Twenty-two resistance-trained participants completed a lower-body resistance exercise session followed by a 4 h recovery period. Participants were assigned a post-exercise recovery intervention of either compression tights applied for 4 h (COMP), placebo tablet consumed every hour for 4 h (PLA) or control (CON).

Evaluating the Typical Day-to-Day Variability of WHOOP-Derived Heart Rate Variability in Olympic Water Polo Athletes.

Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) can be used to infer readiness to perform exercise in athletic populations. Advancements in the photoplethysmography technology of wearable devices such as WHOOP allow for the frequent and convenient measurement of HR and HRV, and therefore enhanced application in athletes. However, it is important that the reliability of such technology is acceptable prior to its application in practical settings.