Frontiers in Physiology (Jun 2022)

Lockdown Duration and Training Intensity Affect Sleep Behavior in an International Sample of 1,454 Elite Athletes

  • Mohamed Romdhani,
  • Mohamed Romdhani,
  • Hugh H. K. Fullagar,
  • Jacopo A. Vitale,
  • Mathieu Nédélec,
  • Dale E. Rae,
  • Achraf Ammar,
  • Achraf Ammar,
  • Hamdi Chtourou,
  • Hamdi Chtourou,
  • Ramzi A. Al Horani,
  • Helmi Ben Saad,
  • Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,
  • Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,
  • Gürhan Dönmez,
  • Ismail Dergaa,
  • Tarak Driss,
  • Abdulaziz Farooq,
  • Omar Hammouda,
  • Omar Hammouda,
  • Nesrine Harroum,
  • Bahar Hassanmirzaei,
  • Bahar Hassanmirzaei,
  • Karim Khalladi,
  • Syrine Khemila,
  • Syrine Khemila,
  • Leonardo Jose Mataruna-Dos-Santos,
  • Leonardo Jose Mataruna-Dos-Santos,
  • Imen Moussa-Chamari,
  • Iñigo Mujika,
  • Iñigo Mujika,
  • Hussein Muñoz Helú,
  • Amin Norouzi Fashkhami,
  • Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos,
  • Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos,
  • Mehrshad Rahbari Khaneghah,
  • Yoshitomo Saita,
  • Nizar Souissi,
  • Nizar Souissi,
  • Khaled Trabelsi,
  • Khaled Trabelsi,
  • Jad Adrian Washif,
  • Johanna Weber,
  • Johanna Weber,
  • Piotr Zmijewski,
  • Lee Taylor,
  • Lee Taylor,
  • Sergio Garbarino,
  • Sergio Garbarino,
  • Karim Chamari

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.904778
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Objective: To investigate the effect of 1) lockdown duration and 2) training intensity on sleep quality and insomnia symptoms in elite athletes.Methods: 1,454 elite athletes (24.1 ± 6.7 years; 42% female; 41% individual sports) from 40 countries answered a retrospective, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire relating to their behavioral habits pre- and during- COVID-19 lockdown, including: 1) Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI); 2) Insomnia severity index (ISI); bespoke questions about 3) napping; and 4) training behaviors. The association between dependent (PSQI and ISI) and independent variables (sleep, napping and training behaviors) was determined with multiple regression and is reported as semi-partial correlation coefficient squared (in percentage).Results: 15% of the sample spent < 1 month, 27% spent 1–2 months and 58% spent > 2 months in lockdown. 29% self-reported maintaining the same training intensity during-lockdown whilst 71% reduced training intensity. PSQI (4.1 ± 2.4 to 5.8 ± 3.1; mean difference (MD): 1.7; 95% confidence interval of the difference (95% CI): 1.6–1.9) and ISI (5.1 ± 4.7 to 7.7 ± 6.4; MD: 2.6; 95% CI: 2.3–2.9) scores were higher during-compared to pre-lockdown, associated (all p < 0.001) with longer sleep onset latency (PSQI: 28%; ISI: 23%), later bedtime (PSQI: 13%; ISI: 14%) and later preferred time of day to train (PSQI: 9%; ISI: 5%) during-lockdown. Those who reduced training intensity during-lockdown showed higher PSQI (p < 0.001; MD: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.87–1.63) and ISI (p < 0.001; MD: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.72–3.27) scores compared to those who maintained training intensity. Although PSQI score was not affected by the lockdown duration, ISI score was higher in athletes who spent > 2 months confined compared to those who spent < 1 month (p < 0.001; MD: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.26–2.3).Conclusion: Reducing training intensity during the COVID-19-induced lockdown was associated with lower sleep quality and higher insomnia severity in elite athletes. Lockdown duration had further disrupting effects on elite athletes’ sleep behavior. These findings could be of relevance in future lockdown or lockdown-like situations (e.g., prolonged illness, injury, and quarantine after international travel).

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