Sleep Deprivation and Athletic Performance

In an effort to illustrate an essential point, the following oversimplification is required. Athletes can be studied in the field relative to their actual performance or in the laboratory relative to their predicted performance. Field studies more accurately reflect the entire performance whereas laboratory studies more precisely measure individual aspects of performance. Both have their respective advantages and disadvantages. 

Relatively few studies have examined the effects of sleep deprivation on athletic performance in the field and even fewer are associated with a meaningful competitive event. Therefore, indirect evidence from military research and subjective reports from elite athletes participating in ultraendurance races will also be reviewed. 

The Race Across America (RAAM) is an all-out 2900-mile solo bicycle race across the United States. Unlike the Tour de France, there are no programmed stops or rest periods. The winner typically rides across the entire country in 8 days. Smith et al. (5) studied a total of seven athletes over 3 years and reported that the winners averaged approximately 2 hr of sleep per day. It was concluded that some athletes have the remarkable ability to perform and win ultraendurance races in the face of severe sleep deprivation. 

This conclusion has also been supported by many other ultraendurance races. For example, the Eco-Challenge requires teams to cover hundreds of miles over various terrain in extremes of weather conditions. The first team to cross the finish line wins. Sleep, like many other physical needs, is constantly being prioritized for optimal performance. In the 2002 race, the winning team completed the course in approximately 170 hr during which time the team members slept a mere 17 hr. This represented an increase in percentage sleep 

Ultraendurance races like RAAM and the Eco-Challenge exemplify the classic question in sleep deprivation research on athletes, At what point does sleep deprivation become detrimental to athletic performance It is a question of probability rather than possibility. For the moment, the answer appears to vary greatly. 

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