Sleep restriction in elite soccer players: Effects on explosive power, wellbeing, and cognitive function

Purpose: To investigate the cognitive, physical and perceptual effects of sleep restriction (SR) in soccer players following a night match. Methods: In a crossover design, nine male soccer players from the English Premier League 2 (age, 21±5 yrs; height, 1.80±0.75 m; body mass, 74.2±6.8 kg) recorded their sleep quality and quantity with sleep logs and a subjective survey after two night matches (19:00); one where sleep duration was not altered (CON) and one where sleep was restricted by a later bed-time (SR). Countermovement jump height (CMJ), subjective wellbeing (1-5 likert scale for mood, stress, fatigue and soreness) and cognitive function were measured at baseline and the morning following the match (+12 h; M+1). Results: Bed-time was later in SR than CON (02:36 ± 0.17 vs. 22:43 ± 0:29; P = 0.0001; ηp2 = 0.999) and sleep duration was shorter in SR than CON (5.37 ± 0.16 vs. 8.59 h ± 0.36; P = 0.0001; ηp2 = 0.926). CMJ decreased by ~8% after the match in both SR and CON (P = 0.0001; ηp2 = 0.915) but there were no differences between the conditions (P > 0.05; ηp2 = 0.041-0.139). Wellbeing was rated worse after both matches (P = 0.0001; ηp2 = 0.949) but there were no differences between the trials (P > 0.05; ηp2 = 0.172-257). SR did not influence cognitive function (P > 0.05; interaction effects, ηp2 = 0.172-257). Conclusion: SR following a night time soccer match does not impair CMJ performance, subjective wellbeing or cognitive function the following morning.