The association between sleep efficiency and physical performance in taekwondo athletes

Sleep is considered as a part of the recovery process from training, and it is an integral feature in the athlete's continuous training control and monitoring. There is still limited evidence regarding the association between sleep and athletic performance. The purpose of the study was to determine the association between sleep efficiency and physical performance in taekwondo university athletes monitored throughout a training macrocycle. Eight males and four females (age = 20.9 +/- 3.3 years.) trained 13-weeks divided in ten overload and three tapering or reduction of the training load phases. During tapering, 50% of the participants reduced their training linearly by 50% from the previous overload phase. The other 50% of participants maintained the same training volume. Physical performance measures were kicking movement time, kicking response time, muscular strength, and squat-, countermovement-, drop-, and arm counter-movement jumps. Sleep efficiency was recorded by accelerometry and all dependent variables were measured before training, at the end of the first mesocycle, and twice per week during the three weeks of tapering. Group analyses showed no significant associations between sleep efficiency and physical performance. Individual analysis showed that three participant's performance was related to sleep efficiency. The current evidence does not support the general contention that sleep efficiency is related to physical performance.