RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The sleep of elite athletes at sea level and high altitude: a comparison of sea-level natives and high-altitude natives (ISA3600)
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP i114
OP i120
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092843
VO 47
IS Suppl 1
A1 Gregory D Roach
A1 Walter F Schmidt
A1 Robert J Aughey
A1 Pitre C Bourdon
A1 Rudy Soria
A1 Jesus C Jimenez Claros
A1 Laura A Garvican-Lewis
A1 Martin Buchheit
A1 Ben M Simpson
A1 Kristal Hammond
A1 Marlen Kley
A1 Nadine Wachsmuth
A1 Christopher J Gore
A1 Charli Sargent
YR 2013
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/Suppl_1/i114.abstract
AB Background Altitude exposure causes acute sleep disruption in non-athletes, but little is known about its effects in elite athletes. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of altitude on two groups of elite athletes, that is, sea-level natives and high-altitude natives. Methods Sea-level natives were members of the Australian under-17 soccer team (n=14). High-altitude natives were members of a Bolivian under-20 club team (n=12). Teams participated in an 18-day (19 nights) training camp in Bolivia, with 6 nights at near sea level in Santa Cruz (430 m) and 13 nights at high altitude in La Paz (3600 m). Sleep was assessed on every day/night using activity monitors. Results The Australians’ sleep was shorter, and of poorer quality, on the first night at altitude compared with sea level. Sleep quality returned to normal by the end of the first week at altitude, but sleep quantity had still not stabilised at its normal level after 2 weeks. The quantity and quality of sleep obtained by the Bolivians was similar, or greater, on all nights at altitude compared with sea level. The Australians tended to obtain more sleep than the Bolivians at sea level and altitude, but the quality of the Bolivians’ sleep tended to be better than that of the Australians at altitude. Conclusions Exposure to high altitude causes acute and chronic disruption to the sleep of elite athletes who are sea-level natives, but it does not affect the sleep of elite athletes who are high-altitude natives.