Heightened levels of inconsistent sleep are unfavourable for athletes wanting to perform at their optimum. Credit: Sergio Montenegro
Junior rugby league players go to bed later than their senior counterparts and are therefore at risk of burning the candle at both ends if this isn't considered in their routine. PhD student Johnpaul Caia from The University of Queensland's School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences has been comparing the sleep patterns of junior and senior Brisbane Broncos, with a view to high performance implications. "We monitored sleep during a typical week of rugby league season and found junior athletes go to bed later, wake later and display greater differences in these times than their senior counterparts," Mr Caia said. "Senior players typically went to bed just after 10pm and in comparison junior players went to bed closer to 11pm. "Similarly, in the morning senior athletes woke just prior to 6.30am, while junior athletes woke closer to 7.30am." The research will be used to provide recommendations to practitioners who work with adolescent and young adult athletes. "Given the tendency of junior athletes to go to bed later at night, practitioners working with these groups should be conscious of the potential issues of scheduling early morning training sessions," Mr Caia said. "If this strategy is unavoidable which could be the case with training required prior to school, then interventions to maximise sleep could be planned.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
