Abstract

Synchronized human sleep has been shown to decrease activation of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in reduced levels of oxygen consumption. This is in direct conflict with sympathetic arousal, which coincides with the initiation of exercise. Although considerable research has investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on exercise performance, the effects of an acute bout of sleep on exercise response have not been reported. This question appears relevant considering the occurrence of acute sleep bouts among athletes competing in prolonged multi-event competition. To investigate the effects of an acute bout of sleep on submaximal (running economy) and maximal oxygen consumption, seven male volunteers participated in a continuous, progressive treadmill test to volitional exhaustion immediately following a 1-h bout of sleep (SB) or no sleep (Control). The subjects served as their own controls and the order of trials was randomized. A MANOVA with repeated measures indicated no difference between groups for running economy or VO2. However, a significant interaction effect was observed in which SB resulted in greater running economy (lower VO2) through the first two stages of the protocol, while the control treatment yielded a greater economy throughout the remaining stages. While the implications of the findings are uncertain, they may indicate differences in psychological arousal or anxiety as a result of treatments or the possibility of a delayed sympathetic arousal in early stages of exercise following sleep. Verf.-Referat